Preparing for the New Normal: Back to School

FX Answers

Set up a “workspace” at home: create a quiet area where you can focus without distractions and have access to paper, pens/pencils, headphones, and any other supplies you may need within reach.
Let your teacher’s or school counselors know if you need extra time or support.
Create a schedule and/or use a calendar app (like google calendar) to help you keep track of class times, assignments, and if/when you need to go into school. You can even set reminders!
Practice safe social distancing and have a mask with you at all times to stay safe and healthy.
Stay connected to friends, reach out to them or set up video chats/house party to have “virtual” hang outs.
Take a brain break. Try to take a 5-10 minute break every 60 minutes of schoolwork/studying.
Take care of your mental health. Do something you enjoy and makes you happy.

Times we are currently facing can be very scary because of the unknowns. If you need help, reach out to a parent or other trusted adult and seek out various mental health resources, if needed.

Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in the US among people aged 10-14 ¹

Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in the US among people aged 15-24 ²

51% of youth (6-17) get treatment each year for a mental health condition ³

15.6 teenage girls for every 1,000 will give birth to a baby before they are 20 years old. ⁴

Only 6% of high school students get tested for STDs ⁵

1/3 of high school students who were currently sexually active used effective hormonal birth control the last time they had sex with an opposite-sex partner ⁶

Nearly 30% of female students currently drank alcohol and nearly 20% currently used marijuana.⁷

2.14 million middle and high school students currently vape ⁸

Over 80% of women and men both report having experienced their first rape under the age of 25. ⁹

Almost 40% of high school students have reported using marijuana at least once. ¹⁰

83.88% of 12- to 17-year-olds have reported using marijuana within the last month. ¹¹

One in four women first experienced intimate partner violence before the age of 18. ¹²

5.9 million teens have reported to drink at least once in the past month. ¹³

In 2022, there were 1,573 motor-vehicle deaths from underage drinks ¹⁴

About 1 in 10 children live in a home with a parent who has a drinking problem ¹⁵

Only 65 percent of teens consistently wear seat belts when driving or as a passenger. ¹⁶

The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16- to 19-year-olds than any other age group. ¹⁷

49% of the youth report having less than 3 friends in 2022 ¹⁸

^{2.7 million youth report experiencing severe major depression}¹⁹

Over 3.3 million teens will be graduating from high school in the year 2023-2024 ²⁰

The average social media screen time for teens is 7 hours and 22 minutes per day ²¹