School Survival


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How Does School Cause Depression?

When I look back at my time in school, all I see are walls closing in on me. Every day felt like a sentence to endure rather than an opportunity to thrive. It's no wonder that depression often becomes a shadowy companion for many teens trapped in the system.

Why do we hate school so much? It's because we love freedom, and school stifles it like a heavy blanket suffocating our spirits. From the moment we enter those institutional gates, our autonomy is stripped away. We're told where to go, what to learn, and how to behave, as if our individuality is an inconvenience to be managed.

John Taylor Gatto, a renowned critic of modern education, hit the nail on the head when he said that schools are designed to produce obedient workers, not free thinkers. The system, with its bells, schedules, and rigid curriculum, molds us into compliant cogs in the societal machine. Creativity and curiosity are suppressed, replaced with rote memorization and standardized tests.

But what's the toll of this lack of freedom? Depression sinks its claws deep into our souls when we're denied the agency to chart our own paths. Day after day, we're forced to conform to a mold that doesn't fit, suffocating under the weight of expectations and conformity. Our dreams are dismissed, our passions ignored, and our voices silenced.

Laurie A. Couture, echoing the cries of many frustrated teens, emphasizes the importance of parental support in this oppressive environment. Instead of pushing us further into the abyss of despair, parents should be our allies, advocating for our autonomy and validating our struggles. They should listen to our grievances without judgment and offer alternatives to the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional schooling.

So, how does school cause depression? It's the gradual erosion of our freedom, the suppression of our individuality, and the denial of our innate desire to learn and grow on our own terms. But amidst the darkness, there's a glimmer of hope – a chance to reclaim our autonomy and rewrite our narratives. It's time to break free from the chains of the system and forge our own paths toward a brighter future.

Where to next? Pick one!

Posted in: Blog on February 29, 2024 @ 8:02 PM

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