Wake up, go to school, do extracurricular activities, go home, do homework, fall asleep, and repeat. It has been reported that 73.2% of students were moderately to highly stressed, with females experiencing it more than males. Many factors contribute to why the students of today become stressed and overwhelmed.
School can be quite stressful, especially for college and high school students. The workloads that teachers provide can be significantly overbearing, stressful, and tedious. Even middle school students are being affected by the education system today. A study from the Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Science was conducted in May 2025 with 2,000 children, aged 10-12, from various schools. The results from this study showed that 68% of middle school students reported mild to significant academic stress, and 45% showed mild to significant anxiety.
The constant workload, as well as stressing about grades, leaves little to no room for rest, leading to direct burnout.
Academics are one of the biggest factors that contribute to why students are being emotionally exhausted, but there are other significant factors, such as social media. Social media continues to grow as the years go by. Websites such as TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are some of the most popular platforms used by teens and young adults. While social media connects people and allows others to see your status, it can cause many issues for young students. A study conducted by Pew Research that was published in April of 2025, shows that 45% of students reported that they spend too much time on social media. Spending too much time on social media can affect sleep and academic performance. Social media also has a reputation for creating insecurities within younger audiences. Feeling insecure about yourself while having to deal with the demands of school can impact a student’s overall behavior and thought process, severely impacting mental health.
Mental health is one of the leading causes of why students today are so burnt out. In recent years, mental health has become more and more accepted in society. People of all ages are encouraged to come out about their experiences and feelings and get help if needed. Although it is becoming widely accepted, many are still hesitant to come out about it. A 2024-2025 Healthy Minds Study showed that approximately 40% of college students reported experiencing moderate to high levels of depression, and 32% reported moderate to severe anxiety, as well as 11% considered committing suicide in the past year.
Being stressed about school from dealing with depression and self-image, all of these factors give some clarity on why students are so drained.
