The Importance of Watching What You Say

 For the last few decades, the United States has seen a significant increase in rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide among teens. This is a topic that is sparsely broached in school, but it may just be an imminent crisis that we must deal with before it is too late.

Many people think about depression and say to themselves, “well, if I’m not depressed, there isn’t much I can do about it.” However, that just isn’t true: there are certain practices everyone can commit to every day in order to help put a dent in this crisis.

So many of the people we encounter in our daily lives are struggling with things that we will never know of. The people we pass on the street, the students we talk to at school, they are all going through things that we cannot see, things that they may be going through great lengths to keep from us.

The solution is not to force their live experiences out of them, but simply to watch what we say. Our words can have the effect of exalting or demeaning. It is absolutely crucial that we recognize this power and go to great lengths to ensure that we are helping people with the words we say.

A simple compliment here or there, a question about someone's life, or just a genuine interest in what they have to say can go a long way. I’m sure we can all agree with the fact that a simple kind word can make someone’s day. Imagine how much better off the world would be if we all embarked on our day with the goal of complimenting three different people. So many of us focus on how we can make ourselves look good throughout the day, while what we really should be focusing on is how we can make a difference in someone else’s day. You never know just how much of an effect a simple kind word can have on someone's day, or even someone’s week. If we are going to tackle an opponent as formidable as depression, we need to all work together towards making the world a kinder, more loving place.

• James S., 11th Grade