A new survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has revealed a serious spike in depression among teenage girls. More than half (57 percent) report feeling “persistently sad or hopeless,” and nearly 1 in 3 (30 percent) has considered committing suicide.
What’s especially troubling about this report is how it runs counter to today’s conventional wisdom. After all, our society allegedly celebrates women more than ever and offers abundant opportunities to girls. Furthermore, women are doing much better than men in some crucial areas, outnumbering them at colleges and in the workplace.
Moreover, strong female protagonists abound in popular movies and television shows. Women have more representation in politics and sports. Schools continually push girls to achieve and break glass ceilings. No longer do girls live in a world where they’re expected to find a husband, have children, and submit to lifelong domestic drudgery. They can do anything.
Of course, the fact that girls are more unhappy than ever raises some serious questions about feminists’ arguments. Would doubling down on attacks on men, ineffective diversity quotas in the boardroom, and expanded access to abortion help young girls?
To be fair, there are those who realize that feminism doesn’t solve the problem. Rather than feeling supported and encouraged as women, the incessant feminist messaging has left most of them feeling pressured and shamed into a lifestyle they don’t enjoy. Rather than wanting to imitate the girl bosses they see on the screen, many simply feel insulted by them. Rather
