BBC News School Report @ LCS

Research suggests that our children have a higher risk of getting a mental illness like depression, anxiety or an eating disorder.

Thanks to social media our children are brain washed to think they need to be skinny, muscly or beautiful. This causes stress to children, ever trying to change themselves for other people, causing low self-esteem and eventually mental illness.

Social media, family and school are the main causes for mental illnesses, children don’t know how to cope with the situation and feel trapped, not wanting to tell anyone in case they seem weak.

School also contributes to mental illness, children are harsh, they bully, judge and leave people out, this causes isolation, depression and anxiety to join a group and change yourself for people. This may also lead to anorexia as you are pressured to look like your friends and eat daintily without stuffing yourself . School are also putting too much pressure on teenagers with homework and long assignments’ this is stressing them out and can lead to teens getting mental illnesses from the pressure such as anxiety.

This is where counselling comes in. Counselling helps people talk about their issues. When you go in you know you won’t be judged or labelled, unlike when you’re on social media. You know you don’t have to worry about anything or hide what you really feel like.

There are other options too, you could access helpline online, pick up the phone or simply write down your feelings. Different people feel differently so need different solutions.

Overall I think mental illness is a shadowed illness as we automatically think of physical rather than mental. Remember that depression starts early and it can kill. Save lives: help and care is all the medicine we need. Think before you speak, type or harm.