It’s 8:00 am on a Tuesday, and a high school junior is already on their second cup of coffee, desperately trying to stay awake during their first period. This isn’t the result of one late night; it’s the cumulative effect of a week packed with AP-level homework, a part-time job, two club meetings and social media’s endless scrolling pressure. This scenario has become the new normal for teens, and this relentless pace goes far beyond simple stress. It’s a burn-out state of chronic physical and mental exhaustion, a crippling loss of interest in activities once loved and a pervasive anxiety that feels inescapable. Teenage burnout is becoming dangerously normalized. This happens mainly because teens face intense academic and social pressures. In addition, constant digital comparison makes those anxieties even heavier, making matters worse. Culture now tends to glorify being overworked as these factors are creating serious consequences for an entire generation.
All of these struggles are aimed at securing a “stable” future — usually a predictable 9-5 job that may not even align with a teen’s interests. Maybe it’s in some glass-box skyscraper in New York, or perhaps it’s in a plain suburban office that costs $3 and an hour-long commute each way, just to show up on time with bad tasting coffee that has enough caffeine to survive the day. Many people who have just turned 16 are already trying to create the perfect combination of the school’s most complex subjects, along with a ton of homework and test preparation.
While a school’s curriculum may not be designed to make kids compete with one another, the pressure of uncertain post-high school life makes the best years of youth feel like the worst. Teens are pushed into a demanding curriculum that seems designed for the handful of students who actually want to major in that subject, not the entire school. For instance, a student passionate about English Literature is still expected to suffer through the rigors of AP Calculus solely to look ‘competitive’ on a transcript. This path supposedly leads to a career choice, which also has to be made at 16, all while trying to grow up, balance family relationships with schoolwork, fall in love, get mood swings and hate life. Why 16? If you apply to colleges at 17-18? To create the best AP combinations, students at least have to know which way to look, which subjects might cover up college credits, and which one class should be an art, so colleges won’t consider you a nerd.
Students burn out not only because of academic pressure, but also because of the expectations of family members, friends, society, social media and that one-kid-who said you will “succeed” if you take these classes. While watching Instagram reels or TikTok, it’s about “5 ways to succeed at the SAT” or “What are the best methods to prepare for an exam?” Even “How much caffeine might kill a person?” shows up, but these are usually skipped because it makes no sense for a teen to listen. At the same time, that teen might have already gone way over the safe caffeine limit.
The most dangerous aspect of this lifestyle is that it’s becoming normalized and promoted everywhere. It may be seen as something popular because it is common. Energy drinks and coffee are available to everyone. When this exhaustion is viewed as normal, people who aren’t burned out might think they are not working hard enough and start pushing themselves too hard to keep up.