Are today's kids too stressed out?

Are today's kids too stressed out?
Are we raising a generation of stressed-out kids? Sadly, the answer seems to be yes. Family dynamics, money concerns, social issues, and academic pressures seem to be the culprits. Several studies have taken a close look about kids and their level of anxiety. Would you say that today's kids seem more stressed out than when you were a child?
Answer: If you answered yes to whether today's kids are more stressed out than youth of previous generations, you'd be correct. Concerns about money, family dynamics, homework and overall school success, pressure to excel in extracurricular activities, and social issues are the culprits.

According to several new studies, average kids today are more stressed and anxious than their peers who were treated for a variety of psychiatric issues in previous generations. The findings also attributed causes as relating to higher divorce rates, concerns about the environment, and less social connectivity.

While stress is a normal occurrence during certain childhood periods, such as when studying for a final exam, for example, findings also indicate that kids are becoming stressed at an earlier age. In addition, pressures kids are feeling to succeed, due to traumatic events (like 9-11), or discussions about the environment and global warming, can add additional concerns. Parents may unwittingly contribute to a child's level of anxiety by putting them in too many competitive activities or having too-high of expectations at an early age.

Whatever happened to the notion of letting kids to simply be kids and learn through play and imagination?

...... Robin McClure