Op-Ed Is COVID-19 driving our teens to drugs, alcohol?

[thegreenhand]

Is COVID-19 driving our teens to drugs, alcohol?​

Dr. Mike Gropper
The Jerusalem Post
06 Jan 2022

Over the past two years, the global community has been under attack by an infectious, continuously mutating virus. COVID has had a profound impact on so many people here and around the world.

In this article, I will talk about the pandemic’s effect on teens. To do so, it is important to get an understanding of the normative psychological growth that happens in adolescence.

During adolescence, the emergence of abstract thinking and introspection really begins to take off. It is during adolescence that kids learn problem-solving and coping skills that are necessary for independent functioning. In addition, there is a growing ability to absorb the perspectives of others. These changes in intellectual functioning are essential for future independent living.

Read the full story here.

 

[thegreenhand]

very typical fear mongering parenting article imo, but yes the pandemic is indeed driving teens to drugs...

 

[Jabberwocky]

as an adult i can also say it has driven me to drugs and alcohol.

i was completely abstinent when it started. had 2 lapses on hard drugs early on and then just started drinking excessively. combination of fear at the start when we really didn't know what was gonna happen, then the malaise and ennui of being stuck at home forever.

but yes, this is typical fear mongering. there is obviously space for dialogue on the impact on mental health, particularly for young people who are missing out on such formative years.

 

[thegreenhand]

yep my alcohol and marijuana use has gone up and hasn't really slowed. the first couple months it was kinda fun to smoke/drink/trip/etc. i guess because of the novelty of being at home all the time. now it's just to cover up despair and loneliness

 

[crazyhairman]

It's social media. Any kiddo with a smartphone can watch a mumble rapper make drug life look fun af.
Get on Instagram and order some pills.

No those are all contributing factors,. It's just depression and anxiety, for those that don't remember, being a teenager kinda blows.