It is true without doubt that drug addiction can develop their hold over any person. Still, people are trying to find patterns in the drug usage of their demographics. Several studies have concluded that millennials have a higher tendency to develop drug addiction. But, why so?
Why are millennials at a higher risk of developing an addiction?
The ‘why’ of this question is a little difficult to answer. According to a study published by the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, millennials have shown a higher dependency on substances. Drug overdoses among them have risen by about 20% and this is construed as a matter of grave concern.
So, why is this happening? Let us look at some of the possible contributors to this phenomenon:
- Social Media: We all know that the rise of social media has been astronomical. Today, about 80% of the people have a presence on the social media where they have constructed their profiles. Studies have shown the correlation between social media, mental health and drug addiction. Sharing your thoughts on social media stimulates a similar response to addiction. It triggers the reward area in the brain and is one of the reasons why people are gravitating towards substance abuse.
- Financial Situations: The millennial generation has faced a lot of financial hardships while growing up. Most of them came of age during the financial crash of 2008 due to the housing crisis in the US. Therefore, their average income is low when compared to other generations. They also suffer from higher costs of living and student debts and their incomes are not commensurate with these costs. It causes them to feel anxious and depressed leading to dependency on drugs and alcohol.
- Health Care crisis: The health care costs around the world have been increasing. In America, the focus is on providing health insurance rather than health care. The rising costs of health care has made the millennials one of the unhealthiest generations. It has reduced the accessibility to health care and turned them towards substances.
- Mental Health: No one wants to address that the collective mental health of people is debilitating. The problems they are facing is causing them to rely on drugs to relieve their tension and anxiety. These negative contributors to health are another reason that the dependency on drugs is on the rise.