With the progress of time, we as human beings have found answers to almost every possible future outcome. However, what is happening now is the game changer. Because our traditions, social responsibilities, and opinions differ from one each other. This trinity made a rapid change in our mental health. However, with the change came a problem. A problem that has been haunting us from the past, but now it’s a reality. The problem is social connections—the bond between families.
In the last 100 years, the world has witnessed two world wars and countless civil wars in different regions. Over time, people had to move from their homeland to seek a peaceful life. Then there was the period of great depression and global diseases that roamed worldwide. Families broke down. This period they have made people separated from their homeland. Many changes happened briefly in the quest for a peaceful, prosperous life.
Now here we are, at the highest peak of human civilization, where we are supposed to be protected from natural disasters and other epidemics. Yet, here, we are turning back in time and going through a global phenomenon known as “Loneliness.”
To even think that with all these modern communication devices and traveling machines, we are going far away from our dear ones is impossible. But here are some facts.
Facts:
According to WHO, around 20% of the world’s children and adolescents have a mental health condition, with suicide the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds. In addition, approximately 1 in 5 people in post-conflict settings have a mental health condition.
According to mental health America, in a recent study, they found, In 2019-2020, 20.78% of adults were experiencing a mental illness. That is equivalent to over 50 million Americans. Most individuals with a substance use disorder in the U.S. are not receiving treatment. 15.35% of adults had a substance use disorder in the past year. Of them, 93.5% did not receive any form of therapy. Millions of adults in the U.S. experience severe thoughts of suicide, with the highest rate among multiracial individuals. The percentage of adults reporting extreme thoughts of suicide is 4.84%, totaling over 12.1 million individuals. In addition, 11% of adults who identified with two or more races reported severe thoughts of suicide in 2020 – 6% higher than the average among all adults.
According to www.oecd-ilibrary.org, in Europe, in the spring of 2022, more than one in two people (55%) could be considered at risk of depression on average across EU countries.
Reasons:
These are all terrifying news. So many reasons exist for all these things to happen to our mental health. Some specifics are childhood trauma, child abuse, social isolation, experiencing discrimination in school, home, or workplace, family debt, severe stress, etc.
It is not possible to address some of the above issues in one article. But we would like to talk about one.
Let’s talk about the wage gaps. 20-30 years ago, we had a different lifestyle than we have now. This lifestyle was connected with luck, opportunity, and education. Thanks to the immense growth of technology, we have changed in recent years. Now, to earn a level of money, nobody needs to go around a higher level of education or set up a business that will eventually become a global icon anymore.
To earn a million dollars was a lifelong dream for people. But, in recent times, a 13-year-old sitting behind a computer can make that much in less than a year. This money-making growth is a gift and a curse at the same time. Because three generations of people still exist. If we categorize by age between 7-15, 16-35, 35, and older, we can see that people still earn less than that 13 years old in ten years. So, more people are trying to follow and replicate to get the said income in their way.
Firstly, this whole thing inspires depression among people of certain ages.
Secondly, people make things up that damage mental health to bring something new to monetize their channels or online shops. So many people supporting such actions or responding to such events are swaying away from reality.
Thirdly, with this rapid development of money-making issues, more people feel they do not belong in this world. This is because they need more time and the opportunity to develop their skills to generate money like successful people already do. For example, a higher school teacher gets paid around 50k per year. Yet, some of their students earn more than that in a month from various online platforms. This gap will undoubtedly create a social dilemma. Not only the minds of the teachers are affected, but they could ask their children to follow that direction so they can get out of debt or loan or pursue a life of luxury. This could transpire into child abuse or trauma, which later make a mark in society.
This wage or salary earning gap has become like a poison that has destroyed the social equilibrium. But this isn’t only limited to teachers or students but all the sectors of the profession. Thus mental illness, loneliness, anxiety attacks, panic attacks, or depression, however, the way we phrase it is, leaving its mark without a stop.
Human beings are social beings. Therefore, we need to connect more humbly. We must understand that happiness is more important than leading an extravagant life. People need to be kind to each. We need to be kind to ourselves. It is the only way we can stop mental illness issues.
HelpLines for Mental Issues:
Substance abuse and mental health