By: Dennis Richmond, Jr.
Across the United States, girls are succeeding in school at levels never seen before. They earn higher grades, graduate at higher rates, and now receive the majority of college degrees in America. In the world of academia, from elementary school to university lecture halls, girls and women are taking the lead. But behind the success, there’s a serious question: are girls actually happier today, or just more pressured than ever before?
For centuries, women were told to stay home. Then they were told that education was the key to opportunity. Work hard, go to college, build a career, and life would improve. In many ways, that promise has come true. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, women now earn more bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees than men. Black women, in particular, are enrolling in HBCUs, community colleges, and Ivy League institutions in large numbers.
Yet at the same time, studies show that teenage girls report higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression than previous generations. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that girls are more likely than boys to report feeling sad, hopeless, or overwhelmed. Guidance counselors across the country say the pressure on young women today is intense. They are expected to succeed in school, look perfect online, stay out of trouble, plan their future early, and still enjoy their youth — all at the same time.
Social media has added a new layer of pressure that previous generations never faced. Girls today grow up in a world where every picture, every outfit, and every moment is open for critique. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat have created a culture where comparison never stops, and bullying can happen at any time. Many girls feel that they have to be smart, successful, attractive, confident, and popular all at once. That kind of pressure can follow them from middle school all the way into adulthood.
There is also a growing expectation that young women must do everything, especially in 2026. Women are encouraged to pursue careers, earn degrees, become leaders, and still balance relationships, family, and personal happiness. While these opportunities are a sign of progress, they can also create stress that earlier generations did not experience in the same way.
Of course, none of this means that girls today would want fewer opportunities. Education, independence, and freedom are important achievements. But success does not always mean life feels easier. In fact, for many young women, success now comes with more responsibility, more competition, and more pressure than ever before.
A century ago, girlhood was often limited by expectation. Stay in the house. Learn to cook. Be a good wife. Today, it is shaped by possibility — but also by pressure. As girls continue to lead in the classroom, the country may need to ask not only how successful they are, but how the hell they feel.
Dennis Richmond, Jr. (@NewYorkStakz) is a journalist, historian, and educator from Yonkers, NY. He writes to uplift unheard voices, honor history, and inspire change.
