As teenagers start to develop into young adults, they often feel overwhelmed with school, jobs, sports, mental health, and lack of sleep,” As teens get older, they have to develop more responsibility, which in terms means that there is more pressure on them and their mind. That can lead to anxiety, and the more pressure occurs, the worse it gets. 

A statement from “Common Causes Of Anxiety In Teens and Young Adults,” from Paradigm treatment says, “ Teenagers don’t have fully developed brains until they are in their early twenties or even later. Your teen is expected to take on adult responsibilities, but they don’t have the skills or the brain development necessary to really care for themselves.”  

One common cause of anxiety is high expectations. Teens are expected to take on many responsibilities added to the pressure from school. School takes up most of a teen’s day. After a long exhausting day at school,many teens just want to rest. As teens start to get older, they want to make their own money, so instead of resting, they get a part time job after school instead. Along with that, many teens have clubs and sports going on at the same time. 

It can be difficult to alternate between so many things at once. Having to multitask like that can lead to frustration. Teenagers with after-school jobs and sports have a higher chance of not getting the proper sleep they need. Many might have homework from school and would have to stay up late to get everything done. Research from healthline.com has shown that on average, teenagers only get 6.5-7.5 hours of sleep each night. Teens need eight to ten hours of sleep each night. “Common Causes Of Anxiety” states, “ Today’s teens also volunteer, participate in community events, have chores at home, and want to maintain active social lives. These expectations not only make teens feel stress, but they also leave little time for decompressing, having quiet time, and even sleep.” 

Hormones play another role in the development of teen anxiety. Teens can get feelings of anger, depression, sadness, and anxiousness for no reason at all. Their emotions can alternate within minutes, causing high-stress situations. Having that many feelings at once can be confusing and new. Some teens don’t know how to deal with their feelings.

Students at this age are at an awkward stage where they still want things done for them as children would. They still want their parents to buy their belongings. On the other hand, they want to be free of parental control and do their own things and out and do their own thing on their own terms. Alternating between not wanting parental control and wanting it can be stressful. Teens may develop mixed emotions and rebel. Many teenagers will get into arguments with their parents because of things such as this along with the chaos of hormones. Sons and Daughters want to please their parents, but when things don’t go their way, the relationship may get heated and this can cause anxiety for both the child and the parent. 

Phones and electronics can also be a  factor in anxiety. Teenagers are always on their phones or computers. Benefits exist from the use of technology, but when it comes to social media, technology can be a problem. Suicide rates, bullying, and laziness have increased as a result of suicide. Many interactions occurred face to face before Smartphones. With Smartphones and the web, many people decided to interact over the phone and stay home instead of going out to interact. As many people get wrapped up on social media sites, bullying and opinions of others may get put out there to the internet. It can lead to drama along with the feeling of anxiety. 

Peer pressure can lead to mixed feelings. Whether it is positive or negative, it can still be stressful. Teens may be pressured positively to do something good. It can cause them stress as they try to do their best and please others. Positive peer pressure can lead to higher expectations for teenagers. Although it is a good achievement, teens may not be able to reach those high expectations and may be hard on themselves for it. Negative peer pressure can lead to lots of trouble that not only causes stress but can even lead to GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder). The article states, “For example, being pressured to shoplift or commit some other crime is stressful and an example of negative peer pressure.” Staying out of trouble will lead to a happier, less stressful life. Having to multitask and try to figure out everything at once can be very difficult. Taking it one day at a time and focusing on the task at hand is one of the easiest ways to reduce the rate of stress and anxiety disorders in teens and adults.