Prozac Nation Is Now The United States Of Xanax Analysis

“Prozac Nation Is Now the United States of Xanax,” an article published by The New York Times, illustrates how anxiety exceeds depression and its respective medicines in the United States. Therefore, the title represents how more and more people are taking anxiety medications, Xanax, instead of depression medications, Prozac. The author, Alex Williams, uses numerous statements from teenagers, celebrities, professionals, and experts to demonstrate the fact that anxiety has become a widespread problem for almost everyone. The author calls this change a “new Age of Anxiety” due to the intense hyperactivity, ceaselessly swiping, and high levels of stress younger generations are experiencing. Throughout the article, the author demonstrates how anxiety
As Williams uses numerous embedded quotes and clauses, he is able to clearly and effectively get his point across. Towards the beginning of the article, the author states that “anxiety has become our everyday argot, our thrumming lifeblood” (Williams). Following this statement, Williams backs up his claim throughout the article. In the latter half of the article, the tone is not only informative, but also personal and light-hearted. This occurs when he voices that “if social media can lead to anxiety, it also might help relieve it” (Williams). Towards the end, he mentions how social media “has helped bring anxiety into the open, and allowed its clinical sufferers to band together in a virtual group-therapy setting” (Williams). This statement offers the audience hope and inspiration, since it presents a potential path to cope with their anxiety. Furthermore, he asserts that “the Americans of 2017 can make a pretty strong case that they are gold medalists in the Anxiety Olympics” (Williams). The overall tone is informative, but it maintains a light-hearted tone as well by referencing the Olympics in regards to
Yes, Williams mentions that “if social media can lead to anxiety, it also might help relieve it” (Williams). He does mention the #ThisIsWhatAnxietyFeelsLike campaign that “helped turn anxiety into a kind of civil rights movement,” but that is not a solution to treat and/or cope with anxiety; it is a movement (Williams). Talking about the seriousness of treatments would have further reinforced the fact that anxiety is a major issue. As a result, it undermines the seriousness of anxiety, for treatment was not a main point he discussed. Even though Williams has an angle of vision, it does not deter the persuasiveness of this