SAVING GEN Z
Suicide is the second leading cause of death in Generation Z. This fact may be shocking but it is sadly correct. Children today are killing themselves at unprecedented rates. With research and community outreach I, Maddie Dickerson, have culminated a project to discover why this increase on suicides have happened and tired to find a solution to this ongoing crisis.
THE PROBLEM
In the past 10 years, multiple studies have been done to measure the rise in suicide rates among Generation Z around the world. What has been found is that since 2009, suicide rates in people 15-19 have risen 70% and ages 10-14 have risen 151%. Hospital admissions for non-fatal self harm injuries has risen 62% in girls 15-19 and 189% ages 10-14. When doing further research it has been found that there is also an increase rates of loneliness and depression in this generation. Children are harming and killing themselves at an all time high. This is affecting the generation that will soon be the workforce and be expected to continue this society. This issue cannot wait, action needs to be taken now.
REASEARCH
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Over the past months I have had the pleasure of speaking with different members of the community who have witnessed these changes in the generation first hand. From speaking with counselors and teachers like Kim baker who commented on the fragility she’s whitnessed in this generation. She’s noticed her students  participate less in class, need more counseling and medications, as wells as just being overall less confident than classes they’ve had in years passed. In fact all the teachers or counselors I met with said they have noticed these behavioral changes. When I asked why they think these changes are happening teachers agreed that it has to do with their use of social media. They also agree that lowering the time on social media will improve students mental health.
Vicki Thurman M.S. SSPÂ
Director of Student Support Services MICDS
SYA English Department Counselor
School's in Spain and Minnesota
Kate Jones  MSW, LCSW.   TX
Assistant Head of Upper School
Conversations with students from multiple schools in the area
THE SOLUTION
I have created a checklist that can be sent to high school and middle schools all around the world. Gen z has never grown up in a world where tech didn’t exist, therefore this checklist will be able to make teachers who grew up in a different generation aware of the warning signs sooner. So they can understand that as the number of hours of phone usage increases so does the luck let good in that child choosing suicide in times of crisis.
OBVIOUSLY THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE THAT CAN’T JUST BE FIXED BY LOWERING YOUR TIME ON SOCIAL MEDIA IT INVOLVES CHANGING THE ENTIRE SOCIAL CONSTRUCT AROUND SOCIAL MEDIA AND HOW WE USE IT IN TODAY’S SOCIETY.
Start a conversation with the people around you!