It is decently difficult being a High schooler in America. Education is becoming increasingly competitive. The attitude of "if you're not first you're last" echoes through the halls of our establishments. We fill kids' heads with the imagination that they can be anything they want to be as long as they work hard. However, it should be changed to "if you work harder". Because once again we have turned the school into a competitive society to create the brightest and the best. Moreover, yes a student can work very hard and achieve their dreams notwithstanding, there will always be someone better, stronger, smarter, and richer. For that child that is just better, they're not just competing against others to become successful. They are competing against their classmates, friends, and family.
Furthermore, society wonders, why are our kids sad, depressed, and suicidal when there shown how terrible they are constantly every day they show up to the prison that is school.
The children are shown the almost impossible task that it would be to be the top at their school so is it no wonder why they fill their faces with their phones, computers, controlled substances, shopping, and books. Should we accept a system that allows practically only 1 in a thousand students the ability to become what they dream to be? Will the 999 accept their fate and become in the words of Pink Floyd "just another brick in the wall"?
According to Merriam Webster the educational 'school' comes from the Greek word 'scholē', which means "leisure." Our modern institution of school could be further from the truth. I have seen this firsthand, I have seen friends burn out and mentally crash, drop out of school altogether, resort to physically cutting themselves with thoughts of suicide, and even friends who resorted to drug use in order to cope with the realities of high school. To see my friends suffer to such a great extent pains me to my core.