I finished reading the Times article but then (perhaps foolishly) read the comments which for the most part blame we horrible helicopter parents who buy our kids smart phones, put enormous pressure on them, and do not allow them to play outside and just be kids. The schools, of course, got a lot of blame along with vaccines and other stuff. But for the most part, it is all our fault.
I live in one of those places where kids go to “top” colleges, but still the vast majority of kids are not aiming for the Ivys. My guess would be that 75% of the kids do fine, but are certainly not spending a ridiculous amount of time studying. This myth that every kid in America is aiming for a top college and is burning out in the process is just inaccurate. Most kids go to a local community college or to an in-state college and beyond a very few (CA or VA perhaps), most decent students can get into their flagship or another campus.
It is really hard to know, and the article does not provide a clear answer, as to how much of this is a difference in diagnostic criteria and how much is real. The kids profiled certainly have very severe anxiety. But the surveys that find more kids are anxious - does the anxiety rise to the level of a mental health issue, or is it just a feeling? Do we tend to jump on every issue now and pathologize it in a way that was unheard of when we were kids (for good and for ill). I know parents who would report that their kids (especially perfectionist daughters) were very anxious, but these young woman did not fall apart, did great in college and in professional or graduate schools, have good jobs, have relationships and are happy. Although they may still be anxious about work-life balance.
In my sample size of 3, the most anxious is the oldest who did not have a smart phone until beyond HS. None of our kid had laptops that they could use in their rooms until college age. The least anxious is the youngest who had the most access to social media and a smart phone in HS. I really believe, like so much else, nature is the primary factor or some sort of traumatic event - including bullying (which contributed to my oldest for sure).
I think the point made that having kids face their fears and learn to cope, rather than protecting them from any of it, is a good one. But as a parent (and I am sure as educators), it is very tough to find the balance. Sometimes, kids outgrow their fears. One of mine was afraid of thunderstorms but outgrew it. Would it have made sense to make him stay outside as the thunder rumbled? Not so sure. Nudging kids to try things outside of their comfort zone is generally a good practice, but it didn’t keep my kid from developing anxiety as a young adult.