World News

By Hayes Yee ‘26 in Fall 2025

Adults often say, “You’re only a kid” to dismiss what you go through. It sounds harmless, but it quietly cuts deep. That phrase minimizes your experiences. It implies your pain is just a phase, not something serious or real.

The data tells a different story. The CDC reported that 42% of high school students felt persistent sadness or hopelessness in 2021. More than one in five seriously considered suicide. These are not small numbers. They are warning signs. They show that youth mental health struggles are widespread and serious.

Yet “You’re only a kid” discourages you from speaking up. It teaches you that your struggles do not count until you are older. That mindset delays support and increases risk. Silence does not protect you. It isolates you.

It also creates a frustrating double standard. Schools expect you to perform like an adult. You are pushed to ace exams, win games, and plan your future. But when you struggle, you are told your stress is not real. You are told you are too young to understand pressure or pain. This contradiction leaves you feeling trapped, pushed to succeed yet invalidated when the weight becomes heavy.

Dismissing young people’s emotions teaches dangerous habits. You stop trusting your feelings. You stop asking for help. You wear exhaustion like armor and treat struggle like failure. Over time this builds anxiety, depression, and self-doubt. It teaches you to survive instead of thrive.

“You’re only a kid” also erases your real achievements. It makes your wins look small just because of your age. That mindset devalues your effort and makes your growth invisible.

This is what that phrase overlooks. It overlooks the real pain students carry, the quiet pressure behind their smiles, and the toll it takes when they are told their struggles do not count. It overlooks that being young does not make pain less real. It only makes it easier for others to ignore.