Palo Alto, California: the quintessential Silicon Valley city. Filled with big-name institutions like Stanford and HP, and the founding location of several more, including Apple, Google, Meta, and Tesla, just to name a few. Yet, according to the Washington Post, its teen suicide rate is more than four times the national average. This troubling trend extends to the entire San Francisco Bay Area and can be greatly attributed to the academic pressure cooker of Silicon Valley. Yet, not enough has been done — or even said — about this issue. To improve mental health outlooks in this region, a nuanced and thorough understanding of its demographics, culture, and society is critical. Join us to learn more, and participate in a discussion brainstorm.
