Our generation has a bad rap for being hyper-sensitive and anxiety has become a much more prevalent issue on our campuses than it was on our parents’ 30 years ago.
Many critics of our generation and today’s society have claimed that colleges are taking on the burden of being mental health service providers rather than pillars of exemplary academics because of this increased presence of anxiety among college kids.
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Although there has been a lot of narrative about our generation being more fragile, there is little evidence to support it. Victor Schwartz, medical director at the Jed Foundation, has noted through his research that “in the last couple decades, counseling centers have found themselves increasingly — and unfamiliarly — taking on the roles of frontline mental-health service providers.”
Because of the suffering of the mental healthcare infrastructure, the responsibility lies with our universities because of the general lack of mental health resources provided for us elsewhere. Many universities have done an incredible job of not only providing the services for their students but also giving a clear presentation of how those services can be obtained.
Because of the lack of evidence of our generation’s fragility and the reasons for it, we should not accept this gross generalization. Instead we should take heart in what we do well and how we have been succeeding despite the changing landscape of our nation’s economy and society.
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Our universities are not falling behind in the academic world because of the mental health services they are providing. In fact, wouldn’t you think that their students are more likely to achieve great success because they are getting the help they need?
It also is incredibly important to understand that there is strength in accepting the services provided for us on our campuses. Perhaps there is an increase in the “fragility” of our generation but in turn that should mean there is increased awareness and acceptance of mental health issues.
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So go to the counseling center, and tell your friends about it because chances are they could benefit from its services as well.