Stress in teens has skyrocketed over the past couple of decades. With so many different activities going on in an average high schooler’s life, it is hard for him or her to stay level headed.

Seemingly, teens nowadays have more stress than adults. According to an article by USA Today, a teenager’s average stress level is 5.8 out of a scale of 10 while adults reported to have a stress level of 5.1.

One major cause of stress in teens today is school. According to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, 55% of teens are stressed out about homework, GPA, tests and college. Most teenagers do not just go to school to learn anymore. They are involved in sports and extracurricular activities that can also be very time consuming. Also,teens do not just have the stress of their schoolwork, they also have stress over how to manage their time better.

Another major source of stress in teens is pressure. 15% of teens say that they feel stressed over expectations that their families and friends have as well as pressure of not meeting the expectations that others set for them.

Another source of stress in teens is their social life. In an average high schooler’s life, social life plays a very big role.In a survey, 9% of teens said they felt stressed due to friends,relationships and fitting in. This stressed teens out as during high school, making new friends and relationships can be very stressful for teenagers.

At Glenbard South High School, it was found that 75% of teens that participated in a poll said that school work was the number one source of stress in their lives.

Consequently,Teens who experience high levels of stress may not know how to deal with their stress, leading the stress to affect their mental and physical health. Extreme stress in teens can lead to depression, anxiety and unusual behavior. Teens who are under stress often act irrationally and are agitated. High stress can also lead to physical problems like upset stomachs, headaches and colds.

Additionally,Teens who experience stress may not always know how to deal with it, causing the problem to advance. If stress is not dealt with at an early age, it can lead to problems later on in life. Also,there are many causes of stress in a teens life, but if dealt with in a proper manner, they will not affect them in the long run.