Most Americans belonging to Generation Z, those born after the mid-1990s, are concerned about mental health issues and bullying, a Pew Research Center survey has revealed.
The survey found that 70 percent of U.S. teens, ages 13 to 17, believe that anxiety and depression is a major problem among people their age in the community where they live.
A similar report, released by the American Psychological Association in 2018, found that 91 percent of Generation Z adults claim to have experienced symptoms of depression or anxiety, associated with stress.
75 percent of those in Generation Z also see gun violence in schools as a major source of stress, along with rising suicide rates, sexual harassment, and migrant family separation.
As documented in the Pew survey, 61 percent of students cited getting good grades as a major cause of pressure. Another 29 percent felt pressure to look good, 28 percent to fit in socially, and 21 percent see being good at sports as a cause of pressure.
Following mental health issues, for nearly 55 percent of teens, bullying is a major problem among their peers. 33 percent of those surveyed called gangs a major problem, with black and Hispanic students most likely to report the presence of gangs within their schools.
When it comes to drug addiction, nearly 51 percent of Generation Z members see it as a major problem among their peers. Alcohol consumption is seen as a cause of concern by only 45 percent of youths.
Poverty and teen pregnancy is currently viewed as a minor problem or not a problem at all for a major portion of the Generation Z population. 47 percent of those surveyed see poverty as a minor problem. The percentage further drops to 44 when it comes to seeing teen pregnancy as a problem.
Among individuals belonging to Generation Z, those from low-income households are also most likely to say that bullying, drug addiction, teen pregnancy, alcohol, drinking, poverty and gangs are problems among their peers.
