re: Why has mental health declined so much over the years?

I could make a really, really long post about this but I'll try to keep it concise.

- Social media in regular, sustained dosed is detrimental to everyone's mental health. For kids, it has replaced a lot of in-person interaction (even before COVID) and it's terribly unhealthy. As a result, people are not learning how to appropriately socialize and just how to interact with people in general.

- This can tie into social media, but people are not learning appropriate emotional regulation. I think you see this at both ends of the spectrum, with either parents flat out neglecting kids with no real consequence as well as parents who helicopter the frick out of their kids and they never learn how to self-soothe.

- A combination of a greater awareness of mental health issues as well as coverage of mental health services under insurances has led to greater access and awareness, which is a good thing in itself.

- I recently had a friend who worked for a year in Spain and talked about the insane pace we push ourselves in America (not just at work but socially as well). For my grandparents, while they worked, life was slower. A better standard of living was more easily attainable. I think our way of life can definitely contribute to a greater level of stress.