Teen Burnout & Grind Culture: What Parents Need to Know

By: Remy Fang

These days, teen burnout is at an all-time high due to the incredible amount of pressure that teens face to achieve and meet high expectations.

A recent study by Common Sense Media, Harvard University, and Indiana University found that 81% of American teens experience negative pressure related to achievement, appearance, social life, friendships, activism, and having a “game plan” for their future. As a result, they feel obligated to engage in “grind culture,” and this leads to burnout.

What are the contributing factors?

The study highlighted several environmental factors including:

• High expectations from adults – Adults, teachers and coaches often emphasize the importance of future planning and high achievements, which teens often internalize
• Social media influence – Social media platforms often highlight peers’ successes, which creates a perpetuating comparison cycle and increases teen’s feelings of inadequacy and the need to keep up
• Economic uncertainties – Seeing the rising costs of education and housing, teens feel pressure to secure their future through constant productivity
• School environment – Schools and universities often prioritize grades and achievements, reinforcing the idea that success is tied to productivity

How can parents help?

Parents can help their teen create a healthy game plan that empowers them to focus on well-being instead of productivity or performance. Create a plan that emphasizes:

• Balance
  • Create a healthy mix of academic, extracurriculars and downtime to prevent overcommitment
  • Set realistic expectations and goals that reflect their unique interests and strengths 
  • Normalize boundaries: you don’t have to take every opportunity

• Self-Care
  • Embrace self-care as part of their routines
  • Create routines that prioritize sleep, exercise, family screen downtime, joyful hobbies, and downtime
  • Model this in your own routines with rest and leisure

• Discuss social media use
  • Get curious about your teens’ social media experiences
  • Talk about the unrealistic portrayals of success online 
  • Help teens set boundaries around comparison and exposure/use
    
    
• Open Communication
  • Create a safe space for teens to express their stress and concerns
  • Engage in active listening by being present, asking questions, empathizing with them and sharing in their joys
  • Help your teen adopt a “growth mindset” by recognizing their efforts vs outcomes and re-framing setbacks as learning opportunities
  • Encourage your teen to focus on self-reflection about what matters to them individually instead of social comparison 
  • Help your teen build a support system where they can express themselves freely without fear of judgement or comparison
  • Talk openly about mental health to remind teens that they are not alone and that it is okay to reach out for help when overwhelmed

This is how you can help your teen shift from hustle and burnout to balance and well-being! And if you or your teen would like additional support to manage teen grind culture or burnout, contact our Intake Coordinator at 949-236-1990 or intakes@lisaeatontherapy.com. You can also learn more over at our Get Started Page.