Key Moments
Journalist Abigail Shrier on Gen Z's Anxiety Problem and Why Therapy May Not Be the Solution
Key Moments
Gen Z's external locus of control and fear of failure leads to anxiety, but therapy may exacerbate it by encouraging rumination and denying the adaptive role of negative emotions.
Key Insights
Gen Z reports the lowest sense of efficacy and an external locus of control, believing they cannot improve their lives, unlike the Millennial generation.
A study on over a thousand teenagers in Australia called the "Wise Teens" program, designed for emotional regulation, paradoxically made participants sadder and more anxious by encouraging rumination.
Academic research psychologists largely agree that certain therapeutic practices can be harmful, while many clinical therapists downplay or deny these risks.
The incentive for many therapists is to treat less severe cases for longer periods, as healthier patients or those with severe mental illness are less lucrative or more difficult to manage.
Anxiety, in moderate amounts, is adaptive and can improve performance, aid in making important decisions, and help create vivid memories, while depression can signal a need for life change.
Historical human experience is characterized by resilience; people historically endured significant hardships (like losing siblings or parents) and recovered, forming families and contributing to society.
Gen Z's diminished sense of efficacy and external locus of control
Abigail Shrier observes a significant shift in the current generation (Gen Z) compared to Millennials. Millennials, characterized by a strong sense of self-efficacy, believed they could achieve anything, leading to a surge in tech founders and entrepreneurial spirit. In contrast, Gen Z exhibits a markedly lower sense of efficacy and an external locus of control, meaning they believe external forces, rather than their own actions, dictate their life outcomes. This translates into a pervasive fear and a reluctance to take charge or initiate action. Even highly intelligent and prepared students, like those interning in research labs who are on the path to medical school, express hesitancy in running their own experiments. They often cite feeling unprepared or needing more skill development, while constantly focusing on their mental state and emotional well-being rather than taking proactive steps.
The paradox of promoting coping without capacity
A common parental instinct is to listen to and validate a child's anxieties, avoiding dismissive phrases like "suck it up." However, Shrier argues that this approach, while well-intentioned, may be counterproductive if not balanced with tools for mitigation and an understanding that difficult tasks often yield great rewards. The crucial missing element is the acknowledgment that individuals *can* overcome challenges, even minor ones. The normalization of phrases like "you'll live" or "shake it off" has diminished, leaving young people without the cultural reinforcement that they possess the capacity for resilience and recovery.
When therapy for emotional regulation backfires
Research offers a cautionary tale regarding interventions aimed at improving emotional regulation. The "Wise Teens" program in Australia, which involved over a thousand teenagers, provided coping techniques focused on emotional regulation. Surprisingly, the study found that this intervention led to increased sadness and anxiety. The core issue identified was that regularly ruminating on negative feelings can actually exacerbate them. This finding highlights a critical flaw in approaches that encourage deep introspection on problems without providing a pathway to resolution or emphasizing overcoming obstacles. The practice of dwelling on negative emotions, even with therapeutic intent, can become pathological, feeding a cycle of distress rather than alleviating it.
The therapeutic divide: academicians versus clinicians
The discussion around the potential harms of certain therapeutic practices reveals a significant split between academic research psychologists and clinical therapists. Academic psychologists are largely aware of the research and potential negative outcomes, agreeing that some practices should be avoided with young people. Conversely, many clinical therapists tend to minimize or outright deny the risks associated with their interventions. This discrepancy can be likened to a mechanic advising against unnecessary oil changes, suggesting that some clinicians may have a vested interest in continuing treatments, as therapy is their livelihood. This creates a challenge for informed consent and for genuinely addressing the well-being of patients.
Incentives and the commodification of mental health
The economic structure of therapy can inadvertently create incentives that do not align with a patient's swift recovery. Unlike a model where a specific problem is addressed efficiently, therapists may be incentivized to treat less severe cases for extended periods, viewing patients as a continuous income stream. This is contrasted with treating highly challenging conditions like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, which are often more difficult and less consistently compensated. For instance, a teenager with mild social anxiety is often a more attractive client—paying reliably, not posing a risk of violence, and requiring fewer intensive interventions—than a patient with severe, complex mental illness. This dynamic can lead therapists to avoid turning away clients who may not have severe problems, and instead, encourage prolonged engagement.
Therapists' reluctance to challenge patient narratives
A significant issue raised is the reluctance of therapists, particularly concerning sensitive topics like gender identity, to challenge or question a patient's self-diagnosis or narrative. Shrier notes that in many cases, therapists did not dissuade girls from identifying as transgender, even when the presentation might suggest other underlying issues, especially in younger children. The overwhelming pattern observed is that such issues, particularly in early childhood, are predominantly male-related and typically manifest between ages two and four. If a child presents these concerns much later, at age twelve, and it's heavily influenced by peer groups, therapists often avoid questioning the authenticity of the identity, possibly fearing parental backlash or accusations of invalidating the child's experience.
The adaptive role of anxiety and depression
Shrier argues that anxiety and depression, in their milder forms, are not merely pathologies but can serve important adaptive functions. Moderate anxiety, for example, can enhance performance by sharpening focus and preparation, as seen in athletes before a competition. It also plays a role in alertness, such as when crossing a street, and contributes to the vividness of memorable experiences like first kisses or holidays. Similarly, mild depression can be adaptive by prompting individuals to slow down, reflect on their lives, and make necessary changes after experiencing hardship, such as a divorce or job loss. Medicating these feelings away, she contends, might dampen the negative experience but could also prevent crucial life adjustments and diminish motivation to escape harmful situations. Historical context suggests that humans have always faced adversity, and resilience is a key component of survival and well-being.
Resilience as a defining human trait forged through adversity
The narrative of human history is fundamentally one of resilience. Throughout different eras, people have endured immense suffering—losing siblings, parents, homes, or jobs—yet they have historically managed to overcome these challenges, form families, hold responsible jobs, and be dependable members of their communities. This capacity for recovery and continuation is the essence of human survival. Shrier suggests we are currently telling younger generations that they have experienced "trauma" that requires extensive processing, rather than framing their difficulties as part of the inherent challenges of life that can be overcome. By cutting children off from intergenerational stories of family resilience and by pathologizing normal emotional responses as PTSD, we may be depriving them of the understanding and confidence that they too possess the innate capacity to navigate life's hardships and emerge stronger.
Mentioned in This Episode
●Studies Cited
●Concepts
●People Referenced
Common Questions
Gen Z is described as having an external locus of control, believing they cannot improve their lives, unlike Millennials who felt they could achieve anything. They are afraid and feel unprepared to take charge.
Topics
Mentioned in this video
Mentioned as a generation that believed they could achieve anything, contrasting with Gen Z's lower sense of efficacy.
Mentioned as a therapeutic approach where effective therapists try to break patterns of rumination.
Mentioned as a type of therapy that does well with depression and focuses on breaking negative patterns.
Referred to as representative of the Millennial generation's focus on tech entrepreneurship.
A child psychologist mentioned for his practice of setting a fixed number of therapy sessions and not treating patients like an annuity.
Used as an example of individuals who experience nervousness and fear before performing difficult tasks, suggesting that anxiety can be adaptive for performance.
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