I'm usually fairly doubtful about any research that concludes that people are either happier or unhappier or more or less certain of themselves than they were 50years ago．While any of these statements might be true，they are practically impossible to prove scientifically．Still，I was struck by a report which concluded that today's children are significantly more anxious than children in the 1950s．In fact，the analysis showed，normal children aged 9to 17exhibit a higher level of anxiety today than children who were treated for mental illness 50years ago．

Why are America's kids so stressed？According to the report there are two main causes：increasing loneliness─brought on by high divorce rates and little communication with society，among other things─and a growing perception that the world is a more dangerous place．

Given that we can't turn the clock back，adults can still do plenty to help the next generation handle such difficulties．At the top of the list is giving children a better appreciation of the limits of individualism （个人主义）．No child is an island．Strengthening social ties helps protect individuals against stress．To help kids build stronger connections with others，you can pull the plug on TVs and computers．Your family will thank you later．They will have more time for face-to-face relationships，and they will get more sleep．

Limit the amount of virtual violence your children are exposed to．It's not just video games and movies； children see a lot of murder and crime on the local news．Keep your expectations for your children reasonable．Many highly successful people never attended Harvard or Yale．Make exercise part of your daily routine．It will help you deal with your own anxieties and provide a good model for your kids．Sometimes anxiety is unavoidable．But it doesn't have to ruin your life．

125．The author thinks that the conclusions of any research comparing people's state of mind today with people's state of mind in the past are