Alienation not Technology

Teen suicide is something I have a hard time understanding. I simply wasn't a melancholy teenager who majorly struggled with identity and relationships. Sure, I had some conflicts with my parents and it was sometimes difficult to get my male peers to notice me underneath my puffy hair and glasses, but I never contemplated taking my life over it. It frightens me that so many young people are willing to throw their life out the window due to a few hang-ups along the way. What does this say about their self-esteem? How loudly does it speak of their inability to communicate their feelings with others? However, before delving into plausible answers that I have no way of justifying, I should reflect on my own experiences and why I never saw death as a superior option to life.

First off, I can say without a doubt that I am a fortunate individual. I was born into a loving family with three older siblings who paved the path of adolescence for me. By the time I came around, my father's pet laws had broken and three cats freely ranged the basement. My mother did little more than nag me about my ripped jeans. I was not constantly fighting against the people I loved about who I was or was becoming. This shows that my parents learned how to pick their battles. They set examples for me and I virtually innately avoided alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes. I was unique in my dress and was interested in social justice already as a teen, but they acknowledged that these were healthy ways of expressing myself. Furthermore, my friends, even if they experimented themselves, never pushed their habits on me. I rarely felt left-out at parties or other social events. I was known for my humour and outgoing nature, not for being a goody-goody. I never felt the need to make bolder statements than the ones my talents made themselves. This leads me to my second point...

I was always involved. I loved school and the fact that I could learn about various subjects and issues. I enjoyed sports and was encouraged to play on teams throughout high school. Some would at this point argue, "Yeah, but you were also good at everything. It's easy when you're good at everything." False. Yes, I was a natural athlete and school came easily, but this doesn't mean that maintaining your own standards is easy. I was always worried I'd stop being good enough and this is something that I'm still dealing with today: What if I can't keep up with the expectations people have of me? What if I just stop doing my work or stop working out or stop handing out granola bars to homeless people? What do I have? Who am I then?

So, on the one hand, I see how I have had the benefit of an amazing family, reliable friends, athleticism, and academic achievement. These are all areas that, if they are tough for teens, are more likely to lead to depression. But, on the other hand, there is also the depression that results from feeling pressured to maintain a certain persona. Many stories circulate about that straight-A teen who hung himself or herself for some reason or other.

What I think it comes down to is an alienation from oneself. It is the inability to find satisfaction with one's own actions and ideas. As much as people think that technology is much to blame for this, I think that it is not so much technological innovations that are at fault but the way in which we use, or view, them. As suggested by Robert M. Pirsig in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: "...the real evil isn't the objects of technology but the tendency of technology to isolate people into lonely attitudes of objectivity" (p. 367).