A few weeks ago my journalism teacher sent home a copy of our school’s newspaper and when my dad opened it, he threw it away. When I found it laying in the trash, I asked him why he threw it away, and he told me that it was because he didn’t know what it was.

Fast-forward to now when I have an opinion overdue, my teacher suggested that I write about this for my next column.

I thought about it but there were two things still bothering me.

My first issue was that it would be “too depressing.” When I expressed this to my teacher, she told me that sometimes that’s just what I need to do.

The second problem I came across was figuring out how I could connect this story to something that other students could relate to as well.

When I thought about what issues I could tie this into, my mind somehow went right back to depression.

Studies from 2016 show that about 2.2 million American teens from the ages of 12-17 had experienced at least one major depressive episode and only 19% of those teens received any professional help.

These numbers are unsettling.

Based on my own experience with depression, I can say that there are many factors in today’s day and age that play a major role in worsening depression and mental health issues.

When speaking with others about what the factors are for them, there seems to be many common attributes.

One of the biggest contributors is probably social media and the constant pressure to compare oneself to others.

We live in a society where technology is always within arms reach. Through social media, we’re all easily accessible to one another, and yet there still remains a large disconnect.

This disconnect can be isolating.

In an age where we are all given instant connection to one another, why is it that many of us choose to stay isolated? I believe that it is due to the fear of being judged.

Personally, I have never felt comfortable enough to speak to anyone about my own depression. There’s still this great stigma behind mental health that makes myself, along with many others afraid to reach out for help.

It’s a depressing truth, to say the least.

Other than social media playing a large role in teen depression, other factors such as problems with self esteem, interpersonal conflicts, and school related stress can lead to depression as well.

This is why finding healthy ways to cope with stress earlier on is very important in reducing the chances of negative effects on the mind and body.

Whether you yourself are suffering from depression or not, chances are that someone you care about is. Understanding and addressing the topic is a vital first step to encouraging others to reach out for help.

Rather than avoiding topics that are normally considered upsetting, we should instead try to look at them from a different perspective.