Stressing Out Over Stress

A recent poll done by National Public Radio found that 40% of the parents polled felt that their teenagers were stressed; in fact, most parents think their kids are far more stressed than their parents were at that age. Parents cite the stress of school work: that demand to get great grades to get into great colleges and/or the stress involved in affording those name brands that "everyone" has, and even the stress of keeping up with their peers AFTER school through social media.
I will admit that most of that is probably true...but I propose that the parents are behind a lot of it. Who rewards students for good grades and talks about the importance of making money and living a better life? Who encouraged that kid to take violin lessons, play soccer on the elite area team, and volunteer at the church on weekends? Who decided that a middle school student needed his or her own phone with internet access?
It's no wonder these kids are stressed...they are too afraid of giving the impression that they are not the all-around wunderkid that their parents have encouraged them to be. Oh sure, media and peers play a role as well, but parents would seem to be the ones allowing the insanity to get to the levels where a kid needs a therapist to cope with the stress of living the teen years.
Yes, it was simpler "back in the day" when video games, the internet and Air Jordans were not available, but we had stresses as well: specifically with regard to education and a better future. Somehow, we survived it without our parents holding our hands the entire way and whap-whap-whapping overhead as parents do today.
Blame society all you want, but there is plenty of blame to go around, and it's closer than we think.