At Sutton High School, many students complain that the teachers are giving out too much work and the work is way too hard. But, is that true? Are we getting harder assignments than students in the past, or are we actually receiving easier work? 

Through a survey sent to the SHS staff, most voted that assignments are easier now than in the past. Yet maybe that’s just Sutton that’s feeling this way; according to Business Insider, high school students are getting more work than in the past. This is primarily due to the competitiveness of universities and the workforce.

In 1990, the average credits earned was 23.6 with a jump to 27.2 in 2009. The students in the 1990s were taking mostly below-standard and mid-level classes while in 2007 the students are taking much more mid-level and rigorous classes.

Technology is a top contributor to the change in education, and I agree that sites like Google have made life much easier. Students today have almost all the information they need at their fingertips while past generations had to go to the library and work for it. Gathering the information may be easier but students still have to retain the information.

Some may argue that schooling is made easier due to technology but people don’t realize that students are still required to memorize that information. School is difficult, whether people want to believe it or not, whether it be in 1990 or 2020. According to Business Insider and PBS, students have much more to think about and are under more pressure than before. 

Mental health in students is also on a downward slope due to stress caused by school. Many students experience “anxiety, depression, inefficiency, lack of intrinsic motivation, contingent self-worth, burnout, academic entitlement, somatic symptoms like stomach aches, sleep loss, and more”(PBS).

Although, students still suffered from these illnesses decades ago, there is still a dramatic increase, “Between 1990 and 2019, the global number of DALYs due to mental disorders increased from 80·8 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 59·5-105·9) to 125·3 million (93·0-163·2)” (NIH). Schools today are difficult, and though some will definitely argue otherwise, it’s not only about the work. Outside aspects affect the life of a student as well.