Why is Highschool So Hard in 2023?

By Lane Kenny

Sometimes, when I scroll through Instagram, I occasionally see videos about what high school was like in the 1990s and the 2000s. The old, grainy videos show smiling students interacting with each other in class, the hallways, the lunchroom, etc. They playfully push each other around, confidently talk to the camera, and interact with their significant others. It seems like a joyful environment.

I will open up the comments, and they will all say the same thing, “Oh, life was so much better back then; today, school sucks.” And when comparing those videos to what school is like now, it may very well be true. 

When looking at the media attention regarding schools, new negative things surround them daily. And when talking to student populations, very few people often praise their school life.

Right now, being a student is challenging for the average teenager. And really, it is not even the academics that are the most taxing part of school for many students. It is the various other components that most people outside of the system don’t even know about. Many believe going to high school is almost all about getting good grades and achieving academic honors. While this is partially true, it is not as vital as many might think.

School is also about developing connections and creating relationships that shape one’s future. This aspect is vital to many high schoolers’ lives because it helps them manage things that will have massive impacts later in life. Creating connections and relationships with people allows high schoolers to find a sense of identity during a time when many struggle with that concept. And how someone molds their identity through their high school years can have massive impacts on how they function years later. 

What is mentioned above is a huge problem affecting so many students yearly. They try to please older people by achieving a high GPA and good test scores. And then, they are left alone to manage their fragile and malleable identities during this important phase of life. While some of it is up to the individual to figure out, not all should be done alone.

People need guidance from their elders on how to establish their identity through the connections they make. Students need less pressure from adults to relax and figure out who they want to be. If students are not allowed to do that, it will have terrible impacts on them later in life when it will be too late.