Why are so many teenagers anxious, depressed, even harming themselves and taking their own lives?

Being a teenager can be tough.
There are changes taking place in your body and brain that can affect how you learn, think, and behave. And if you’re facing tough or stressful situations, it is normal to have emotional ups and downs.

The world is at their fingertips, but they also feel its immense weight. “Everything is so fast-paced and competitive. Part of that is social media,” say students Olivia and Arielle, Board Members of UMatter. “The sense of immediacy—everything has to happen right away, at the click of a button. There’s pressure to constantly be ‘on.’ To look and sound perfect, and act like you have it all together. But you don’t.”

Lots of people, especially high school students, assume that talking about mental health will feel, well, kind of weird. But, in most cases, friends are happy to listen and offer support.

UMatter focuses specifically on teens that are struggling. Under the guidance of Rabbi Yarden Blumstein, UMatter operates on a peer-to-peer model of teens helping their peers overcome stigmas and other obstacles related to mental health. UMatter is a teen driven initiative within the Friendship Circle family.

Watch MI Healthy Mind to learn more about these amazing teens and how they work together to support the mental health of students through programs like UMatter.