It feels like I hardly have time for myself anymore. I spend all my time doing what the people I’m supposed to look up to tell me to do. Is any of this going to matter in the future? Teachers expect us to work even more after the school days are already over, coaches expect us to always be at our best, no matter how much we’re hurting, and parents expect us to still be perfect and obedient no matter what.

The amount of teenagers that are mentally exhausted is concerning. There shouldn’t be anyone that feels this way. It would be easier if you, the adults, had more empathy. Teenagers feel so much pressure to be perfect. According to a CNN Health article, 81% of teens ages 13-17 feel pressure that leaves them feeling badly about their achievements, appearances, social lives, and friendships as of Fall 2024. The article also reported that teens feel that the most pressure comes from other adults.

School is already hard enough for most students, so having to do more work at home makes things even harder. After seven cruel hours of school, when you finally think you can relax, you still have to do homework for multiple different classes.

Personally, I don’t understand the purpose of homework, and most of my peers feel similar. I do get that you want us to study more so we can understand what we’re learning, but that’s not what being at home is for. Being at home is a time to relax, it’s meant to feel safe and comfortable. If that many teens find school stressful, then why would we bring more school to home?

Everyone deserves breaks, but it seems like we never get them. I know I’m just one person, but no matter how much sleep I get (which is pretty much impossible because of the amount of work cutting into our nights) I never truly feel rested.

Most teenagers have an outside of school activity, like a practice or rehearsal. A lot of the time it can take up most of the afternoon, leaving not a lot of time at home. According to a New York Times article, once kids start to reach their teens they start enjoying sports less because of overused injuries and overtraining which leads to burnout. Pressure from parents and coaches also leads to not enjoying sports as much. A win-at-all-costs culture can affect a young athlete’s development and well-being.

Lots of teens are very passionate about the things they like to do after school, but the constant pressure that comes with it makes what’s supposed to be a fun activity feel like a job. Having all of this pressure coming from so many different areas of teenagers’ lives can cause unneeded stress. The teenage years are supposedly the best years of your life and spending them constantly feeling like you’re not good enough might take away how you view the purpose of life.

A Burnt Out Teen
VUMS Student

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Students at Vergennes Union Middle School finished a civics unit by writing open letters. The driving question was: What makes democracy work? To create this final project, teachers and students used the New York Times open letter contest framework. Students could choose any topic they felt passionate about. The letters are being published in several different venues: in our school newsletter, on Front Porch Forum, in The Addison Independent, and on school bulletin boards. Two students submitted their letters to the NYT contest! Our students did a wonderful job writing these letters, and we hope you enjoy reading the ones that appear here. We expect these students will continue to use their voices to highlight issues they care about!

Libby Payeur and Nan Guilmette
VUMS Humanities Teachers