The Scourge On Students
Homework is a scourge on the teenage student population all around the world, children
dread that moment in class when one student reminds the teacher of work from the night before.
For far too long has it stressed out the children around the world, causing them to stay up until
dawn finishing math problems on a worksheet, or making them feel as though they have to cheat
just to get by. Events cause students to stress over what to wear, who will be there, who will see
what they're wearing. The anxiety filled mind of a student is a terrible world indeed. The
educational system needs a rework, especially the high school system, due to the health risks it
causes students, the effect on their social lives and the effect on their parents and guardians.
The health risks to students is the largest issue on the matter. The most dangerous health
risk, the gateway risk if you will, is sleep deprivation. A study done by The Sleep Foundation
found that only about fifteen percent (15%) of teenage students get the proper amount of sleep
each night before going to school the next day. However, it has been recorded that more than
seventy five percent (75%) of students have more than two hours of homework each night. A
combination of large sums of homework and earlier start times of the school day created this
recipe for disaster. Sleep deprivation is known to cause horrible consequences to the human body
and mind, student or not. The consequences include but are not limited to: concentration
problems, memory problems, aggressive behavior, causes overeating and even skin problems
(Sleep For Teens). According to a study done by Stanford University stated that fifty six percent
(56%) of students named homework the primary cause of their stress (How Does Homework
Actually Affect Students?). Some of the long term effects of stress include: increased depression,
headaches, heartburn, tense muscles, and risk of heart attack (The Effects Of Stress On The
Body). The students carry this stress with them from middle school all the way to the end of
college, allowing it to build over time to a point where the effects will cause them great trouble
and may be irreversible.
It is safe to say to a student their social life is everything, what people think of them, what
they think of themselves, what they have and what they do not have. The social life of a student
is a very important thing, however, the effect of homework and school on the student can pose a
great danger to it. Doing and having homework does not necessarily make you smarter or make
your grades better, in theory, it can, but on most occasions it will simply make you feel worse,
especially if you do not understand the subject (Argument Against Homework). Most teachers
will give out homework as busy work and make it absurdly hard for the reason of making it time
consuming, as stated before only about fifteen percent (15%) of students have less than two
hours of work to do once they get home after a long day. School ends at three o’clock (3:00) the
majority of schools, however, students have a long commute home. These factors leave very
small amounts of free time to the average student due to the large amount of work and late
arrival at home (Homework vs. Sleep: A Major Cause of Stress in Teens). Another factor
affecting the student social life doubles as a health risk, depression. Depression is a real problem
in schools, there has been some changes to policy in schools to “deal” with the issue, but it is not
enough. Depression is a serious disease that if left untreated can cause issues such as: tendency
to hurt/injure oneself, fatigue, the risk of a heart attack, and trouble with memory and decisions.
Depression comes in many forms, most come in self-isolation from distancing due to the factors
of embarrassment, denial, fear of being made of fun. These fears lead to the development of
anxiety which is just further down the rabbit hole. The symptoms have become so evident that in
some states, students can take mental health days (Students Can Now Miss School for a 'Mental
Health Day').Depression and anxiety at a young age can cause the person to not develop socially
effectively, leading to awkwardness around others, lacking the ability to publicly speak, and hard
time working with others (The Effects of Depression in Your Body). A study done in 2017 by
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that nearly a third of all high school
students had experienced a pronounced period of depression, describing it with symptoms like
hopelessness and severe sadness within the previous school year. The same study showed that
seventeen percent (17%) had contemplated suicide and or self-harm. These percentages
represented a significant increase in the last decade. According to a study published in the
medical journal Pediatrics, the suicide rate has increased nationally by thirty percent (30%) since
1999, with a high number of them being students attending school and comitting the act during
the school year (Students Can Now Miss School for a 'Mental Health Day). These statistics are
terrifying to say the least, school has a long lasting effect, whether it be from skills picked up
along the way, or curses gained on the journey. Depression and Anxiety change a person’s life,
and affected adults and teenagers struggle with it everyday. School may not be the direct source
but it definitely cultivates it.
The effects on parents and guardians are definitely not as severe but are noteworthy due
to the effect on the child-parent/guardian relationship, and of course the parent’s health. The
effect on the relationship between parents and children can go in two ways during school. The
child could begin to lie about assignments in order to avoid consequences, slowly deteriorating
the trust, or the child will do extremely well and all is well with the world. Due to experiences
that have occurred, the first option is more likely than not, especially on the high school scene.
The trust between parent/guardian and child is very important but lying and keeping secrets can
deteriorate the relationship and even the health of the parent and child. The build of distrust and
secrecy also leads to the build up of stress in both parties causing the symptoms as stated before
such as: depression, headaches, etc. Adults have work and other issues to stress out about
enough, they do not need the added stress of a child’s deceit. More than seventy five percent
(75%) of physician visits are stress-related issues in adults (Chronic Stress Is Linked to the Six
Leading Causes of Death). Stress is a large weight on the shoulders of everyone, it can
sometimes be a good thing in small doses. Stress can act as a motivator at times to get something
done ahead of time, or to do something quicker, however, too much of a good thing is never a
good thing.
The very important argument over the reformation of the school system is something that
is not discussed much, most people just dismiss it with: “If it is not broken, there is no need to fix
it.” That phrase is the gateway to ignorance, anything can be improved. The school system can
be improved in many ways, for example: restructuring the role of homework in order to alleviate
stress. A major reform that would assist the students the most is the issue of early start time, most
students are tired in the morning from waking up at between six and seven in order to get to
school on time. Sadly, until schools become less focused on sports rather than the well-being of
their students the time will remain the same so that after school practices and games can still
occur. An argument can be brought up against these points as follows: school has worked
generally the same for the past decades, why did we not fix the problem then if there is one. The
reason for this uproar is children are just beginning to get listened to in a serious way. Ask any
person born before 1990, their parents would just shrug off complaints about waking up early or
not having enough time to do homework, blaming other things such as spending time with
friends taking up too much time or that afternoon nap that deserves to be enjoyed. The effects of
stress, depression, and other health risks have become too great to be ignored any longer. The
health, both mental health and physical health, of the student needs to be the number one priority
in the educational system. It is time for change.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
“Sleep for Teenagers.” Sleep For Teenagers, The Sleep Foundation,
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www.bartleby.com/essay/Why-There-Should-Be-No-Homework-P3PNUSZVC.
Many Contributors “Essay Lab by ENotes.” Enotes.com, Enotes.com,
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MD, 8 Jan. 2020, drcraigcanapari.com/homework-vs-sleep-a-cause-of-stress-in-teens/.
“How Does Homework Actually Affect Students?” Oxford Learning, 17 June 2017,
www.oxfordlearning.com/how-does-homework-affect-students/.
Watson, Ann Pietrangelo and Stephanie. “The Effects of Stress on The Body.” Healthline,
Healthline Media, 29 Mar. 2020, www.healthline.com/health/stress/effects-on-body#1.
Feming, Nora. “Students Can Now Miss School for a 'Mental Health Day'.” Edutopia, George
Lucas Educational Foundation, 9 Aug. 2019,
www.edutopia.org/article/students-can-now-miss-school-mental-health-day
“The Effects of Depression in Your Body.” The Effects of Depression in Your Body, Healthline,
www.healthline.com/health/depression/effects-on-body#1. (This link is missing some things due
to the fact that Easybib did not work and I could not find the information)
Hartz-Seeley, Deborah S. “Chronic Stress Is Linked to the Six Leading Causes of Death.”
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