Why is depression and anxiety so common nowadays?

[biscuitsbrah]

Is it because people have too much free time and are stuck in their minds now?
I heard an explanation about how a big part is social media and just overall technology is a big cause. I think people and kids especially dont have to interact and socialize with others as much in person. So it obviously gives people social anxiety to do so. Just like how you would get anxious snowboarding or doing something for the first time. Its like that for a lot of people nowadays

Obviously a huge part of "depressed and anxious" people are just being little bitches and its fake news, they are exaggerating and are just drama queens. But it seems to be a real phenomenon especially for young adults and teenagers. Whats funny is you rarely hear it being a huge problem among older adults.

What is your theory?

 

[Streeter]

Because it's an easy answer to give people for most issues.

 

[revoltub]

It's always been that way it just wasnt something you flaunted before.

 

[elwani]

My theory (which I’ve mentioned before) is that in modern society, it is increasingly difficult to feel you are in a stable long term relationship with others in which you can share deep trust and kindness.

 

[Rimbaud82]

 

[Pittie Petey]

I think its always been a problem, its just more acceptable to talk about it now, everyone needs to be broken to fit in

But people forming relationships and dependence with their social media accounts and needing that constant gratification and validation from their phones is definitely not healthy

 

[Otto!]

COVID didn’t help things, but I think that addiction to social media also has a negative impact on some people’s mental health. Seeking validation from strangers on social media can’t be healthy.

 

[Jose Beehive]

Because we are our own domesticated Frankenstein monsters and are malfunctioning via the existence of everyone suffering.

We were never meant to deal with Empathy on such a large level.

 

[biscuitsbrah]

It's always been that way it just wasnt something you flaunted before.

So basically people have always suffered to this extent. They just never expressed it?
Or were people tougher back then too

 

[It-is-what-it-is]

Maybe it's the death of god, now that people don't believe in God anymore, they'll suffer existentially. Why am I here? What's my purpose in life? Etc

Nihilism is what comes out of that train of thought, and with nihilism you get depression and hopelessness.

Idk just my 2 cents.

 

[GoodBadHBK]

I struggle with depression and my mental health. I had to quit drinking and smoking weed for good because it messed with my mind and head way too much only intensifying my problems and my depression.

I've been 2 weeks sober from alcohol and 1 week from weed. I know it's not that long but you have to start somewhere and everyday I'm becoming more social with people and feeling less down about myself.

I do wish I could smoke but I just can't handle it mentally anymore.

 

[revoltub]

I think its always been a problem, its just more acceptable to talk about it now, everyone needs to be broken to fit in

But people forming relationships and dependence witn their social media accounts and needing that constant gratification and validation from their phones is definitely not healthy

Social media is a big thing imo. The world is becoming more introvert favorable, compared to before where for the most part it favored extroverts. Especially in the past year. You're friends used to be the people you actually saw and hung out with in person. Now everyone is your friend, and so actual personal relationships have become to watered down it's hard to tell what's what.

 

[DaleBoca]

Stay off social media then. But depression has always been around, it just wasn’t clinical labeled yet.

 

[revoltub]

So basically people have always suffered to this extent. They just never expressed it?
Or were people tougher back then too

Yes more people didnt express it or it just seemed that way because there wasnt social media.

 

[Grandwizard666]

An over stimulating society. We constantly stare at screens, are in high volume areas (traffic, people). Everything is at your fingertips as well. This is the first time in history it's been like this and we're seeing some effects imo

 

[dittohead84]

I think you nailed it at the start. People have gotten lazy and diets have turned to shit too. We got arms and legs and we're meant to be using them.

All this automation that's going on in the world, people are needing to exercise to exert themselves. There's a lot of people who don't have a manual job, don't play a specific sport and don't exercise just to stay in shape. And now the media is more poisonous than ever, bad concoction

 

[Rygu]

Social media and it makes Doctors and big pharma money.

 

[Bornstarch]

Because life has become too easy and people have a lot more free time on their hands

People didn't have this problem when they were running away from wooly mammoths 16 hours a day

Running away from Sabretooth Tigers the other 8

 

[Jose Beehive]

Maybe it's the death of god, now that people don't believe in God anymore, they'll suffer existentially. Why am I here? What's my purpose in life? Etc

Nihilism is what comes out of that train of thought, and with nihilism you get depression and hopelessness.

Idk just my 2 cents.

Bit of a myth, Nihilism is very liberating for a lot of people and is super misunderstood, seems to mostly be mistaken for Pessimism, Cynicism and Apathy.

 

[Jose Beehive]

Because life has become too easy and people have a lot more free time on their hands

People didn't have this problem when they were running away from wooly mammoths 16 hours a day

Running away from Sabretooth Tigers the other 8

Sounds pretty anxiety inducing to be honest.