Health
Students around Ironwood High School deserve to have up to date information on how to stay safe and healthy. The Eagles Eye is committed to providing articles on this topic.
The Importance of Mental Health Awareness
February 22, 2024
Luis Vargas
Staff Reporter
In recent years, the youth mental health crisis has been brough to light with various organizations and social media platforms using their influence to shed light on what is bringing down a generation of youth. During Adolescence years, it is crucial for the development of social and emotional habits. One major cause of the teen mental health crisis is social isolation and loneliness. Loneliness can lead to feelings of isolation and disconnection. This may also impact the quality of sleep which can often result in unhealthy coping mechanisms like substance abuse and academic performance. Studies have shown that those who suffer from social isolation have difficulty forming healthy relationships with peers. As we step out from the Covid- 19 pandemic we see a major spike in teen mental health issues as the pandemic has exacerbated feelings of loneliness. As we step further into the future, it is important to prioritize your mental health and develop healthy ways to cope with it. Research has shown that school is a fantastic way to combat loneliness as school provides a structured environment for social interaction. Engaging in social interaction can help provide stability in positive peer relationships which can lead to new Oppurtunites and a brighter future.
Image Credit: The Eagle's Eye
Why It's Better to Spend Time Outdoors Rather Than on a Screen
February 21, 2024
Ayla Cuskic
Staff Reporter
In today's digital age, screens and technology have become an inevitable part of our lives. Too much screen time can have a negative effect both physically and mentally and getting outside more could be the way to fix it.
One group that screen time can have a detrimental effect on is children. According to MedlinePlus, “most American children spend about 3 hours a day watching TV. Added together, all types of screen time can total 5 to 7 hours a day.” Too much screentime can cause attention problems, anxiety, depression, sleeping problems and more.
A good way to make sure children aren't having these issues is making sure they are spending enough time outdoors. According to healthychildren.org “There is scientific evidence that playing outside improves health, and children of all ages love it.” Playing outside can boost mental health, encourage creativity, provide Vitamin D, and more. Playing outside also improves physical health by encouraging exercise.
Spending more time outdoors is essential for healthy children. But even older people can heavily benefit from time away from screens.
Adults can develop an addiction to too much screen time. We know the effects on children, but it also affects the adult brain. According to Reid Health, “A 2020 study found that people who have been diagnosed with smartphone addiction had problems with the part of their brain responsible for transmitting messages and poorer cognitive performance.”
Spending time outside can reduce screen addiction and help with better cognitive performance.
Image Credit: The Oboys
Teenage Student Stress Levels Are Way to High
January 26, 2024
Rat Naber
Staff Reporter
Teenage stress is very high right now, especially for high school students in the U.S. Teens are constantly worrying about being good enough for their parents. This constant worrying is causing them a lot of stress, and it is affecting their personal lives as people and not just as students according to the American Psychological Association.
75% of students are stressed because of academics, according to Steven Zauderer, CEO of Cross River Therapy. It’s taking a toll on their body and mental health. Students who are stressed are skipping meals, forgetting simple things like a computer at home, etc. They start getting really depressed because of this, and not a lot of people find their way out of the hole which they have spiraled into because of stress. All this information can be found on the American Psychology Association website.
Around 30-43 % of teenage students get too stressed, fall into a deep depression, and end up taking their own lives according to scientificamerican.com. This is a very morbid fact that a lot of people choose not to acknowledge. It’s all because being this stressed as a student is normalized, and people don’t check up on people dealing with this much stress.
These suicides are rarely ever caused by just school. There are usually other things along with school stress that can lead to this like peers, life at home, and anything else that may add onto it.
If you need help because you are feeling this way, please talk to trusted friends and adults that may be able to help you.
Image Credit: American Psychological Association
Benefits of Eating Healthy
January 29, 2024
Rachel Mealy
Staff Reporter
Are there benefits to eating healthy? A healthy diet is the key to being fit and happy. Maintaining healthy eating habits has a lot of benefits to your body and mind, for instance, you will feel more alert and happier.
Eating healthy can prevent and control health problems including, “building strong bones, protecting the heart, preventing disease, and boosting the mood” (MedicalNewsToday, 2). Eating a variety of food that contains less salt, sugars and industrial-produced fats are essential for a healthier diet. Whole meat, fruits, and vegetables are a few examples of foods that contain a high level of bio-nutrients.
Not only will you feel fit and happy, but you’ll also feel more immune to germs and diseases. Your immune system strengthens when you eat better foods due to your gut. The foods we eat “affect the diversity and composition of bacteria in the gut” (UCLA Health, 3), which affect the cells in our stomach. “The microbiome and the immune system are critically intertwined,” says Jonathan Jacobs, a professor of digestive diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
The human body is made up of the things people eat. That is why eating food with high nutrient content is important, so cells can reproduce in the best way possible. For an example, “The average human body contains something on the order of four trillion cells. Between 60-70% of those cells should replace themselves every 6 months” (bionutrient 4). This reveals that the nutrients in your food-which your body uses to build itself back up-have a key role in your overall health.
Image Credit: Eat this Not That
What is Albanism
January 29, 2024
Ashley Calkins
Staff Reporter
Did you know, 1 in 20,000 people worldwide are born with albinism? The condition affects people in many ethnic groups and geographical regions. Prevalence of the different forms of albinism varies greatly by population and is highest overall in people of African descent. Albinos can live a normal life span; however, some forms of albinism can be life threatening.
As stated by Mayo Clinic, albinism is a lifelong condition and is easily recognized through pale skin, hair, and eyes. The eye color can range from very light blue to brown and may appear red. Another condition is back-and-forth movement of the eyes that can't be controlled, called nystagmus. Albinos usually have very bad eyesight or even complete blindness.
Hair color can range from very white to brown and people of African or Asian descent who have albinism may have hair color that's yellow, red or brown. In addition, eyelashes and eyebrows are usually very blond. According to albanism.ohchr.org, Shaun Ross who is 23 years old, was the first ever international male fashion model with albinism. “I remember growing up as a kid who always felt some type of way about my appearance”. People living with this condition can live a normal life like people do only with some complications.
Image Credit: albanism.ohchr.org
Peer Pressure
January 26, 2024
Isabel Jiménez
Staff Reporter
It is more common for people from ages 12-19 to be influenced by peer pressure. Peer pressure is the influence from members of one’s peer group. Also, people with low confidence are prone to give into peer pressure, this is because they are unsure of themselves.
According to the National Library of Medicine 85% of high school students have felt peer pressure, 80% of teens began smoking due to peer pressure and 755 began drinking. This is because they fear they are not going to fit in or because of fear of rejection.
Peer pressure usually happens in schools or on social media. An example of peer pressure in teenagers at school could be a student is bullying a kid and making them take drugs or alcohol. In social media peer pressure can be shown by being forced to act in an unusual way on screens.
Peer pressure can also happen if you want to feel valued by your friends, or if you feel like you are strongly attached to them. Peer pressure does not always have to be negative; it can be a good thing. An example of this is a friend or peer can influence you to be kind to others or maybe be better at something.
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How Sleeping Habits Affect You
Addy Kennedy
Staff Reporter
Did you know your sleeping habits can majorly affect your health? If you are not getting enough sleep, it can drastically affect the way you feel. There could be different things that sleep loss can cause. There are also multiple types of sleep loss you can experience. However, there are ways to prevent this.
Lack of sleep can cause negative feelings. The director of the Sleep and Development Lab, Cara Palmer, explains how sleep loss can impact the way you experience positive feelings. Sleep loss also heightens reactions in the part of your brain that experiences emotions. It can also make reactions to things you experience much more negative than needed.
There are three types of sleep loss you can face, according to a study by the American Psychological Association. There is sleep deprivation which is when you are unwillingly kept up. Then there is sleep fragmentation which is when you are periodically waking up. Finally, there is partial sleep loss which is when you wake up earlier than normal.
Even though sleep loss might not seem that important, it can severely impact your mental health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sleep loss can worsen symptoms of anxiety or depression. If you already have depression, it may affect you differently to someone without it. Also, individuals with insomnia are more likely to develop anxiety.
The CDC explains ways to prevent this. You can be more consistent with the time you are going to bed. You can darken your room for a better sleeping atmosphere. Lastly, avoid large meals and caffeine before bed.
Image Credit: Wix.com
February 2, 2024
Promising Parkinsons Research
February 1
Rachel Mealy
Staff Reporter
In the age dominated by digital connectivity, social media has woven itself in the fabric of our everyday lives. While these platforms promise connection and communication, a secret addiction often lurks beneath the surface, impacting individuals in ways that are both subtle and profound.
One of the most defending features of social media is the scrolling addiction, a habit that transforms minutes into hours. The infinite feed of information keeps our minds occupied for hours on end, that is challenging to end. Most users find themselves caught in a continuous cycle of scrolling, losing track of their time and sense of reality. In fact, psychologists “estimate that as many as 5 to 10% of Americans meet the criteria for social media addiction today” (Addiction Center 3).
Notifications, like, and comments trigger a release of dopamine to the brain, which is the happy hormone. This hormone causes addictions. The use of this reward system in the brain causes “the phenomena of social media to be addicting” (Addiction Center 5).
As individuals invest more time in crafting their online phenomena, the quality of their real-world relationships can suffer. Social media breeds a sense of isolation from face-to-face interactions, which ultimately effects their social abilities, “If a teen’s social media engagement outweighs their in-person interactions, they may also struggle to identify critical social cues” (socialmediavictims, 3). Those social clues include body language, facial expressions, and boundaries.
Image Credit: Hope Mental Health
Borderline Personality Disorder: Suicide and Self Harm
December 1st, 2021
Lexi Geller
Staff Reporter
As described in the DSM 5, there are nine symptoms that are seen and used as criteria in diagnosing Borderline Personality Disorder. One of the behaviors is suicidal behavior and self-harm. This is a symptom that very obviously puts a lot of difficulty and strain on someone suffering with BPD.
According to Psychologia, “70 percent of borderline patients attempt to commit suicide and 10 percent actually die by their own hand”. This is clearly a symptom that puts a person’s life in danger. The number does not even include those who die while performing a high-risk act fueled by their impulsivity. Other deaths can include those who drive recklessly. These are not the only ways that people with BPD may hurt themselves. They also commonly use methods such as cutting, burning, breaking bones, provoking fights, or eating and drinking until they are sick, as described by Psychologia.
There are many ways and reasons for self-harming behavior in those who suffer from BPD, one reason could be them feeling like they are lacking the attention and validation that they feel they need from a specific person. At times, some people with BPD may even threaten suicide or self-harm without ever actually intending to. There are many times when threats of self-harm may not be true, but as previously stated, there are many times when the person with BPD does in fact end up killing themselves or greatly harming themselves. They may also partake in these acts because they feel there is no other way to handle emotional pain. Self-harming can become a very bad habit that unfortunately, many people with BPD suffer with.
Image Credit: BPD Humans
What is Social Anxiety?
September 13th, 2021
Christopher Byassee
Staff Reporter
There are many different ways of developing social anxiety, most recently due to the pandemic; kids have had a harder time opening up in the real world.
Social anxiety has been around for as long as we can remember. It has increased with the new generation of children. According to Science Direct, “Our understanding of social anxiety disorder (also known as social phobia) has moved from rudimentary awareness that it is not merely shyness to a much more sophisticated appreciation of its prevalence, its chronic and pernicious nature, and its neurobiological underpinnings.”
Many teens experience this because of the increase in physical, sexual, and mental abuse. Bullying from peers., family conflicts, domestic violence, and divorce all take part in their development of social anxiety. This can also include the death of a parent, maternal stress during pregnancy or infancy.
Teens of today are playing video games more frequently than those from the 90s did. Obviously, video games were still played. However, people would rather be outside all day or night. This recent generation has increased gameplay more and is used to saying hurtful things without repercussions of saying them, even if they acknowledge they should not be saying them. Some people are just born with a brain defect that causes them to be challenged while interacting with people.
Although society makes it sound untreatable it is treatable. To treat it, you can take medications or visit a therapist. Most people we talk to have some correlation to the family, people with anxiety do not want to say the wrong thing or give the wrong impression, or make their parents look bad. So why talk to a therapist? Therapy can help improve people in daily social interactions and social situations. Also, they help increase your comfortability in social scenarios. . In this case, it is an illness. Like most illnesses, it can be treated.
Social anxiety can be treated and if you are looking for help there are numerous people you can call, text, email, etc.
Image Credit: Rachel Idzerda
The Effects OfSocial Media
September 3rd, 2021
Joleen Cope
Staff Reporter
Social media is a huge part of many high school students’ lives, especially over the past two years. There are many effects of this commonly used social tool, but sadly most of them are negative.
Most, if not all, high school students start their day by checking their phones. Check who has responded to a comment they have made, see who has messaged them back, and so on. For those who do post, they will check the likes or maybe even the shares they had gotten the day before. This routine does not only cause problems for self-esteem but also brings down many students’ mental health as well. It is important to point out these issues in hopes of fixing them.
One of the most common issues that many, especially girls, face due to social media is body image issues. It is so simple to look at other people’s posts and compare yourself to them. These body and face standards that many set for themselves based on what they see on other posts are unrealistic. This just makes people feel bad about how they look or see themselves. There are also posts that can be highly photoshopped, making this issue even worse. It is important not to compare yourself to what you see all over social media accounts.
Though easy communication is an immense help through social media, there can also be a lot of drama that runs through many of these conversations. This could be between friends, but it could also be with someone anonymous, whose identity you are unsure of. Rumors can spread incredibly fast through people, and it just gets easier to do so through social media websites. There have also been situations in which these conversations are leaked and posted for everyone else to see, even if it was meant to be private. There have been many cases where social media has put someone’s life in danger. To avoid putting your own life in danger, do not talk to people you do not know. This goes for everyone, even if they seem trusting, there are some creepy people out there.
Reputation is not the most important thing ever, but it does affect the way people are viewed by others. Posting about anyone, whether it is lies or not, can make them lose so much. This could be close friends, friends they just started making, or just overall respect. Nobody likes feeling alone and making them lose everything does not do much good. Posting certain things can also get someone verbally or even physically attacked, potentially putting them in danger. If there is an actual issue, it is best to take it up to a trusted adult and fix the problem instead of potentially making it worse.
Social media has become so toxic recently. Although this is the case, there are positive effects it can have as well. For starters, while it can become bad when done in the wrong way, it is an effective communication tool. Many people use social media just for the communication aspect of it. Getting valuable information around to your peers or friends makes it so much easier. This could also mean posting about a significant issue to get the word around to everyone. Everyone likes to have a voice and a quick post on your story or the main part of your account can make this happen. Many people use their accounts for beneficial use and put the word out about current issues that go on at the time. This makes it so the word is spread for a worthy cause. Also, doing this could help make a change in the issue that is going on.
Away from the super-serious aspect of this, it is important to have fun. Obviously saying not to post ever on social media is very unrealistic. There are right and wrong ways to do so. Instead of spreading rumors or creating drama, post cool pictures of your recent vacation, a wedding, a family dinner, or a hangout with your friends. Social media does not just have to be toxic; it is important to be safe.
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