A wise man once said, "Mental health problems don't define who you are. They are something you experience. You walk in the rain and you feel the rain, but you are not the rain." However, students of many schools have repeatedly shown that their mental health problems are in fact, defining them and stripping them of their creativity and individuality. Many of the problems that these students are facing derive directly from school. Teachers don't realize how difficult and tedious long homework and project assignments can be. When the student has other priorities to handle outside of strict academics, it can be easy to fall behind on these assignments, especially when they are coming in such rapidity and quantity. 

     Social media and access to school networking accounts aren't helping matters, either. Those who have had access to this from a young age are able to see their peers living a better, and more comfortable life. Undoubtedly, they would feel bad and unfair, as most would.  However, not everything seen on social media is what it appears to be. Behind the screen, that person could be living in just as poor mental conditions. The viewer could never know that however, while they are trying to better their life, for the fear of being left out, or not being cool and popular enough. This creates a chain reaction, one that has a very low chance of being stopped. One of the only ways to stop it is to remove social media altogether, as if it doesn't exist, kids and their peers won't be inclined to make this type of content.

     You don't have to be a genius to know that the impact of social media will never be removed.

     While it has been a negative thing to many, it has influenced millions of others into creating content for their viewers to enjoy, some even making full jobs and careers out of sponsorships and endorsements. Social media simply has left too big of an impact throughout the entire world for it to be removed without unbelievable riots and protests, creating a whole new problem that would likely branch off into more chain reactions. 

     Will social media ever be removed? No. Are there other ways to stop this problem? Yes, but we can't do it without the help of our school system.

     I believe that schools should take more action in supporting the mental health of their students. In many news cases regarding academics, kids are shown depressed, or worse, due to the stress they are burdened by from school. What they are doing currently is not enough, and that is ubiquitous throughout nearly all schools in America. Schools should exercise more caution and raise awareness for mental health. I understand that, at higher levels of education like college, this may not always be possible, but schools should take integrity in doing everything that they can to support the health and general welfare of their students. It should be just as much of a concern as learning and teaching.

     I don't see how someone not in the right mental place can possibly be expected to learn and develop amongst their peers, can you?