Imagine being told that your problems are a figment of your imagination. That the things causing you stress, anxiety, and depression aren't really problems, but that instead you're just a crybaby. This is literally happening to the millennial generation right now.

On December 7th, 2017, KY3, a local Springfield news station, posted an article to their Facebook page about how the number of students using the counseling center at Missouri State has skyrocketed in recent years. While this is a very positive development because it means that students are using the resources provided to them to address their concerns with mental health issues, the general reaction from almost everyone that wasn't a student was absolutely horrendous.

The comments on the post were full of comments from members of the elder generations claiming that the current generations are "wimps, crybabies, and whiners." So many of them told us that we need to suck it up or "the real world is going to eat you alive!" Here's an idea for you though. How about we address the sinking mental state of thousands of young adults across the nation and try to help those suffering INSTEAD OF BELITTLING THEM AND MAKING FUN OF THEM.

Stop telling us that our problems don't exist. Stop telling us that we were pampered and that's why we aren't happy. Stop trying to compare our struggles to the struggles of your generation and act like you had it so much worse when you were a kid. And for the LOVE OF GOD, stop blaming it on our smartphones.

I know, it's crazy. Insane, even, that the current generation of college-aged students could POSSIBLY have real problems right? But hear me out. Picture this: the year is 2017. It's the beginning of December, and the two longest weeks of the year loom ahead of you, the week before finals week and finals week itself.

You're exhausted. You haven't gotten a decent night of sleep in days and you won't be getting one any time soon because you know you have to study. You're stressed out of your mind about your grades. You have a job that you have to keep working so that you can afford groceries, rent, gas, and other necessities. Everything is building up and it feels like you're treading water with no land in site. Welcome to the life of your average college student.

It's not just college students that are dealing with decreasing mental health either. It's a problem that is facing the entire generation. It is nearly impossible to support yourself on minimum wage, and jobs that pay more are few and far between.

Sure, getting a better paying job is easier if you have a college degree, but they're also becoming harder to get. Sure you have a college degree, but do you have any experience? Oh, you want experience, huh? In order to get that, you have to get a job! But you know what you can't get a job without? Experience. Noticing a trend here?

And let's talk about that college degree. Sure it's a good thing to have, but have you seen the price tag on a college education these days? Wow. The price of college has gone up dramatically, and its continuing to increase.

The days of being able to afford college by working a minimum wage job are long gone, and when you add rent, groceries, and gas? Good luck! I (and many others) don't even know what I want to do after college, and even if I did, there's no guarantee of a job. Money doesn't by happiness, but the lack of money sure does buy stress, anxiety, and depression.

Take the problems with money and college, tack on a dying environment, an economy that's going down the drain, a disappearing hope for retirement, and high expectations from family, and it's no surprise that Missouri state has seen an increase in the use of its student counseling services.

That being said, it's time to take a stand. If our elders aren't going to help us, then it's up to us to help each other. If you know a friend is struggling, reach out to them. Be that shoulder to cry on. Be the ear that listens, no matter what the problem may be.

Be a light for those around you who are lost in the darkness of their thoughts. It may seem bleak now and feel like no one cares about our problems, but I get a truly great feeling knowing that the millennial generation will be the one that fixes the way we look at mental health. We will be the ones that make it a priority.

We will be the ones who make sure that no one feels like they have nowhere to go. We'll make a brighter tomorrow for those generations that will come after us, and that's a future I can hold onto.

And no, we won't blame your smartphones.