Comparison is the thief of joy
I just saw a graph showing depressive symptoms for 8th, 10th, and 12th graders in US schools.
They were asked to tick one (or all) of these questions:
My life is not useful I do not enjoy life I can't do anything right These questions were asked every year since 1990.
From 1991 to 2014 the graph was level. Oscillating around 20% for each question.
But from 2015 it's rocketing up to (and beyond) 50%.
24 years of balance. Followed by a rapid doubling of depression.
What is going on?
These questions are linked to comparison. The teenagers are comparing their progress to that of others.
But comparison has been around since the dawn of humanity. It was mentioned in The Bible. And Theodore Roosevelt famously said that comparison is the thief of joy.
So why the rapid surge?
Here's my take:
Social media on smartphones.
Around this time the technology improved significantly. Meaning we could all access social media on our phones (including HD video) whenever we wanted it.
Social media is like a brothel of comparison.
The entire ecosystem is based on showing off. Showing only the best bits of your life (often faked). Using manipulative strategies to make people feel bad about themselves. Because our human brain is more addicted to the negative than the positive.
This affects all of us.
Sadly, teenagers are affected most.
Their brains haven't quite developed yet. Their emotions are all over the place. They have loads of free time. And they're increasingly forgotten. Lost in enormous classrooms led by overwhelmed and underpaid teachers.
Frankly, I don't see this improving.
It's time for a spiritual revolution.