High school. For many people, the first image that comes to mind is that of popular jocks and cheerleaders partying after the big game and the next day found scrambling to finish their schoolwork and college applications. For others, it might be students hurrying down hallways, laughing and chatting on their way to and from their classes. Although this may apply to a decent percentage of high schoolers throughout the world, what is often forgotten is the struggle to find one’s own definition of success and how this pressure has escalated dramatically over past years. Now primarily in the female half of the population, new aspirations and ambitions are set, and it is expected to do whatever necessary to attain these goals. Besides the burden of academic success, the various pressures each teenager faces are still present and can be just as, if not more, stress-inducing than their educational environment. The stress on success causes female adolescents to push themselves towards perfection, at the cost of the equally essential aspects of life such as sleep and relaxation. These females’ mental, physical, and emotional images are ruined by the idea of perfection which must be recognized in order to improve and cultivate new methods of avoiding this problem.
Female teenagers in today's society are forced to face frequent burdens besides those solely of educational pressure; and this can also be the cause of even more negative repercussions in their regular day to day lives. Dr. Stephen Hinshaw, a professor at the University of California Burkley and Chair of Psychology, questioned how female adolescents could possibly be under this immense amount of stress. He took this study further and wrote a book, The Triple Blind, where academic success is only one of the blinding factors. Dr. Hinshaw states "The recent changes in girls' mental health problems cannot be explained by changes in genes but issues in their culture at large" (Hinshaw, 2009). Some of these pressures consist of social media’s influences, peer pressure, and even parents’ expectations which can all lead to not only an unsuccessful academic life, but various health problems as well. Around twenty percent of girls from 10-19 years of age are currently experiencing episodes of major depression including withdrawal, lethargy, sleep disturbance, and self-destructive acts (Womack, 2004). The number of self-destructive acts specifically in females has increased over 300% since the 1950s (Reynolds, 2010). These numbers depict how at least one-fourth of teenage girls in the U.S. are suffering from self-mutilation, eating disorders, major depression, or thoughts of suicide (Hinshaw, 2009). The academic pressures still remain however are pushed aside by these other burdens which when combined, cause these drastic measures to be taken.
The pressure to succeed can be defined in numerous ways, depending on the expectations of each person. The idea or hope of achieving a certain academic standard such as maintaining a specific GPA or getting into a college of choice are the major goals usually set by teenagers themselves. With the busy eight-hour school day often followed by various extracurricular activities, studies have shown that students push aside the other needs in life such as adequate rest and relaxation. This lack of substantial rest and both mental and physical rejuvenation can be detrimental to the emotional and physical development of the teenager. Exhaustion, frustration, and desperation can lead to them to perform unethical behavioral actions such as: disobedience, cheating, and even stealing.  In the journal of child psychology and psychiatry, mental health of teenagers in general has declined in the past 25 years (Womack, 2004). Starting in 1986, emotional problems have become more predominant in the female gender while improper behavioral acts are committed by the males. A study was done at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, and the University of Manchester where professors looked at three generations of 15-year-olds in 1974, 1986 and 1999. Although no specific answers were found, the general outcome as observed by the parents found that “demanding expectations of academic achievement had risen” (Womack, 2004). Not only did this study prove the existence of school tensions but also shows how this has evolved over time.
According to a study conducted by Stanford University, research shows that eight of ten teenagers feel that success is more important than anything else, no matter the cost, and that this pressure continues into their lives in the work force. From a poll of 787 students with ages from 13 through 18, 44% of adolescents, mainly females, believed they have a strong pressure to succeed (Reynolds, 2010). Although only approximately half of the population, this number has augmented and will continue to do so if not prevented, as seen from past years to present day. Females are four times more likely to attempt suicide or a form of physical self-harm. Yet, males are more likely to follow through with the act. Although there could be plenty of causes to these suicides, they have been due to academic pressure, which is something that could be easily prevented.
One of the primary negative effects of this constant academic pressure is the unethical actions made both in and out of school. CSRwire, a news network, conducted a survey in Colorado Springs in 2006 where teenagers blatantly admitted they engaged in immoral conduct in the past year with 69% lying, 34% downloading a song illegally and an astonishing 22% cheating on tests (Tohmatsu, 2006). David Miller Ph.D., Executive Director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture discusses about how students feel unsure and unprepared as to how to make these strong ethical decisions, and it makes a confusing combination when coupled with previous factors. He states, “We are reminded that community and corporate leaders can play a pivotal role in helping prepare students to recognize and resist the inevitable ethical dilemmas they will face later in life” (Tohmatsu, 2006). This encourages the youth to gather around in groups and help one another to fight against the moral problems they face.
A parent’s role is to push their child to do the best they can, although it usually unknown the extent to which a parent should got to in order to do so. In today’s competitive world, a child’s parent can often forget the other necessary factors in life to give attention to, besides that solely of work. Although important to have a pushing force for each child to want to prosper, the parenting force can come off as demanding or overly strict. A study was done by Penn State University which showed that out of 421 students, (227 females and 194 males) 19.4%, contemplated committing suicide due to the enormous pressure from their parents to produce exceptional grades (Adams, 2001). Not only is this plausible to cause more lives to be lost with the intentional hope of success, but also point out how parents could have a negative part in an adolescent’s life, which most are unaware of. John Coleman, director of the Trust for the Study of Adolescence, said "The changing nature of the family is central. Teenagers are affected by instability of family life, which causes a lot of difficulty; it muddles up roles and there is not the support for young people as previously" (Womack, 2004). Since birth, children have always looked up to their parents physically, mentally and emotionally which causes the parent’s role to have a bigger effect than assumed.
Parents manage to play an important role in their children’s lives, usually adding upon the pressure already encountered by these teenagers. "I would rather die than disappoint my parents" (Margolies, 2013) one student says. Numerous parents want the best for their child but are oblivious to how the children are truly taking it or how they are feeling. Since the psychological makeup of a teenager is already so fragile, a parent’s opinion or idea on success would only fracture it more. Madeline Levine composed a book, The Price of Privilege, where parents become over involved and intrusive as they worry about their teenager. This situation is usually seen in the home settings of affluent, loving parents where the children are experiencing the higher rates of depression and disorders. “Materialism, pressure to achieve, perfectionism, and disconnection are combining to create a perfect storm that is devastating children of privilege and their parents alike” (Levine, 2006). Although unintentional by the parents, these effects can cause a child to hide how they are feeling and make them more closed off in comparison. This will not only occur during their adolescent years but can continue to their adult lives as well. In order for this to be avoided, parents must realize and better comprehend the teen’s situation and instead work together with, not against them.
Teenagers and adolescents are well aware of the need for leisure time, but the gender gap is created here for how each gender chooses to spend that time and the unfamiliar effect it can have. New York Times recorded that 18% of the men were frequently overwhelmed while compared to twice the percentage at 39% of the women (Lewin, 2011). Linda Sax, a professor of education at U.C.L.A. talks about how males usually find more time for the activities that relieve stress and release endorphins, such as athletic exercise, while women tend to take on more responsibilities in their free time that only bottle up the stress, from volunteer work to helping out with their family (Lewin, 2011). This in turn makes women continue their high levels of stress while men are more able to exert it through other methods.
Professor Sax then continues to state how “Women’s sense of emotional well-being was more closely tied to how they felt the faculty treated them,” meaning how they are being treated in humanity today. US News shows how women are more likely to graduate and earn jobs but still earn less than men. The graph below indicates the increasing degree to which women are taking on careers that used to be primarily followed by men with the highest of jobs.   (Bidwell, 2014).
Today, it has also been found that women only make 78% of the money that men make, so that for every dollar a man makes, a woman in the same exact position would only make 77 or 78 cents (Bidwell, 2014). This statistic could also create a fear for adolescent girls to be unsure about whether they would be paid enough for their job in the future and cause even more anxiety from an early age before even making any money for these women. The inequality in workplaces has become increasingly present and problematic and will always exist until the generational gender gap disappears completely. This fact can also be one of the many underlying causes of academic pressure to soar up even more on the female side, which is inevitable yet curable at the same time.
Many psychological institutes such as the American Psychological Association have tried to remedy this burden of academic success to push towards happier lives for these female teenagers. Frédérique Autin, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Poitiers in France states “By being obsessed with success, students are afraid to fail, so they are reluctant to take difficult steps to master new material” (Autin, 2012). After performing three studies and experiments around the world, Autin was able to conclude that
“Teachers and parents should emphasize children’s progress rather than focusing solely on grades and test scores. Learning takes time and each step in the process should be rewarded, especially at early stages when students most likely will experience failure” (Autin, 2012). 
If this were to begin during the earlier years of a child’s life and maintained throughout high school and college, the various negative effects such as a sense of intellectual inferiority could be significantly avoided.
Parents of these stressed teenagers can also find numerous ways to aid their child throughout the high school and further years. Professor Dr. Joan Freeman published a book, Gifted Lives: What Happens When Gifted Children Grow Up in which it is found that only 25% of the gifted teens went on to their fullest potential in their adult lives. The remaining 75% of the gifted children eventually became diverted by a combination of both social and psychological factors recorded as an immense amount of early pressure, a mental ailment, or even a loss of motivation and drive. Freeman states the key to their happiness may be “choosing a career that alleviates much of that pressure to be perfect that is thrust upon them.” (Donovan, 2011). From here, it was attempted to find the most suitable ways for parents to deal with their teenagers suffering from these pressures.
Psychology Today published some guidelines for parents to follow in order to lead their child to their own success, starting with a balance of encouraging and punishing. Since it has been accounted that gifted teenagers tend to punish themselves for small things, such as results of a poor grade for example, it is the parents’ responsibility to encourage them to do better with support in order for them to thrive (Donovan, 2011). Another recommendation made is for students to meet their needs both academically and socially, which many overlook. In order for the essential emotional and social skills to be unimpaired both now and in future, it is crucial for a teenager to find a common balance.
Another method of dealing with the societal pressure is the creation and attendance to support groups which are found nearly everywhere, such as the Harris Interactive. This is a company which revolves solely around research-driven insights and strategic advice to allow teenagers to make confident choices and ultimately lead to better consequences (Tohmatsu, 2006). The US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health performed various experiments with 120 students where classes on social support and coping mechanisms were given to only the experimental group. From the results, it was found that the experimental group was able to gain more enhanced emotional balances with high social support. In terms of gender differences, it was observed that females are “significantly more likely than males to be higher in personal self-disclosure to others, particularly in times of stress” (Baqutayan, 2011). This study proves that it is vital for female teenagers to feel that they have at least some form of social support with one example of support groups.
Not only is it a parent’s job to prevent the pressures from overcoming one’s self, but it is also the adolescent’s. Hinshaw advises girls to focus on finding a better purpose in life and keeping themselves occupied with what they enjoy doing, not blindly busy. Some examples of these activities consist of volunteering in places such as civil rights organizations, animal shelters, or for the less fortunate. (Hinshaw, 2009). Volunteer work is able to provide a larger perspective for teens that obsess about their personal failures and imperfections. It is also encouraged for students to maintain a good physical well-being, by doing some form of physical exercise a minimum of thirty minutes a day. This will also release the brain’s natural anti-depressants, such as endorphins (Margolies, 2013). Another thing encouraged for the student to do is the openly communicate about their mental health and well-being at least to a minimum extent. It is often considered that if one rather hides it, they seem more likely to fit in. But as a result, being unable to comfortably speak with others about these things can lead to even further pressure to reach a breaking threshold, which is hoped to be prevented (Anwar, 2009).
The sole focus of academic success manages to drive female adolescents to into situations never expected, from no sleep nor relaxation or to self-destructive acts. Often forgotten during the relatively brief educational years of school is the struggle of finding success in today’s world, especially as a female. Due to these new hopes and desires for one’s self, these stress creators may lead to the outcomes of mental and physical harm. One student, Raven of age 18 simply puts it as “The hardest part about being a success is to continue being a success” (Donovan, 2011). Completely unaware of the negative effects but aware of the gender differences in the work force; these girls sign themselves up for the harsher route expecting a more successful outcome from themselves. This has drastically changed since the earlier times of high school being the best four years of one’s life. Now, social support groups and parental care are both strongly advocated to ensure that any female teenager feels properly cared for and heard. In order to prevent these adolescents from worsening their lives, one can only hope that these specific methods will be used in order to remove parts of this intense pressure of success and rather spring a positive change in female students in future years.