24 gennaio 2025
Dr. Daniele Nappo, Legal Representative as well as Founder of S. Freud Private School, draws attention to the social pressures that today's youth are subjected to on a daily basis and that social media exacerbates due to the constant confrontation with each other.
“I am not able": it is a phrase that everyone has said or heard many times in a student's life, an expression that resonates in the thinking of many due to a culture that seems to reward only those who are perfect. But this mental processing can lead to deep insecurities and, over time, to a negative perception of oneself, becoming a heavy burden to bear. Expectations encapsulate a range of judgments, comparisons, emotions and ideas about the self and the world that can arise from a variety of factors, both external and internal. Mainly they stem from the world of social media where comparison with the other is constant. Social and family pressures also play their part. It can happen to feel compelled to achieve excellent grades, to choose a certain career, or to achieve ambitious and unattainable goals, even when these do not reflect one's desires or aptitudes thus creating a sense of failure and frustration. We increasingly experience the tendency toward perfectionism and self-criticism, and sometimes we ourselves are our own harshest judges. As much as perceiving a little tension or expectations on oneself can be a motivational drive to always act to the best of one's ability and earn coveted goals, when these become overabundant, oppressive and stronger than desires they can lead to serious effects on well-being and mental health. Anxiety and stress are the result of those who feel pressured all the time. Every mistake becomes a reason for distress that can also negatively affect school performance or interpersonal relationships. It is necessary to know how to recognize the problem in order to intervene as effectively as possible. In certain cases, confronting a professional can help develop personalized strategies to manage anxiety and low self-esteem; “feeling enough” is a journey that requires patience and awareness.
