2026/4/12 GMT-4

Hello, I’m Stickman Charles

According to analysis released in early 2026, search frequency for the term “anxiety” increased by roughly 15–20% compared to the same period in 2025. Although search volume does not fully reflect reality, it is clear that anxiety is becoming more embedded in everyday life.

Anxiety mainly comes from three factors: increasing workload, social comparison, and fear of new technology.

These three factors reinforce each other. Increased workload reduces efficiency, which leads to frustration when comparing yourself to others and drives more information-seeking behavior. Exposure to new technologies that may replace existing jobs further increases anxiety, which then reduces efficiency again and creates even more workload.

First, increasing workload. From my perspective as a student, it is visible that the workload for middle school students in China, and even primary school students, has been increasing. According to several friends studying in junior high in China, after finishing homework, it is often already 11 p.m. or even midnight. This likely reflects the reality of many students. This is caused partly by the environment and partly by learning strategies. The environment is hard to change, but strategies are adjustable.

Here we need to clarify a concept: learning is not limited to school or tutoring classes. In the coming AI era, self-learning ability will become critical, because the cost of accessing learning resources will drop significantly. School will function more as a resource, not the entirety of learning itself. Taking initiative is important. If you treat school as only one resource, your thinking becomes clearer. When possible, you can also request teachers to adjust your learning materials or content. Schools are not one-on-one systems and cannot fully personalize instruction. This responsibility ultimately lies more with students and parents.

Second, social comparison. There is a classic joke: “I already live better than emperors in the past—phones, air conditioning, cars—so why am I still unhappy?” This requires an important premise: happiness is often relative rather than absolute. Even if we understand that gratitude is the correct mindset, understanding does not automatically translate into practice.

The internet is filled with anxiety-driven content: layoffs at companies, school rankings, young founders becoming millionaires. These narratives are not actually connected to your life. If you stop consuming them, your daily reality will not change. What does remain connected to you is your attention. You are, often unconsciously, giving away your most valuable asset to systems designed to extract it.

You need to use metacognition to regulate this. Reduce exposure to such information. Do not let it take advantage of your attention. Redirect that energy toward improving your cognition. When you encounter this type of content again, remind yourself: this is not useful to me, and it is not worth my attention.

Third, fear of new technology. At the center of attention right now is AI, especially agents—systems that can execute complete workflows. It is very likely that people who fail to adopt new tools will be replaced, particularly in roles that are repetitive and low in cognitive demand.

The correct response to new technology is openness, not fear. Treat it as something to learn rather than something to resist. There are many useful AI practitioners sharing methods online; learning from them is valuable when possible.

Before closing: anxiety does not mean you are falling behind. It is a signal that adaptation is needed. The key is not to let it interrupt your forward movement.

Thank you for your time. If you have any thoughts or feedback on this article, you can reach me at charlesisworkinghard@gmail.com.

Keep thinking, and take care.

2026/4/12 GMT-4

你好，我是Stickman Charles

根据2026年初发布的分析，“焦虑”这个词在2026年初的搜索频率对比2025同期增长了约15%-20%。虽然搜索数量不完全代表真实情况，但是不可否认，“焦虑”已经逐渐渗透进了我们的生活。

焦虑主要来自三个因素：一，工作任务的增加。二，与别人的对比。三，对新技术的畏惧。

这三个因素环环相扣，因为工作任务的增加导致效率下滑，在与别人对比时产生挫败感，并尝试搜索更多信息；看到新技术即将取代现有工作后，焦虑进一步加剧，影响工作效率，导致工作量再次增加。

先说第一条，工作任务的增加。从我作为一个学生的角度来说，肉眼可见的是，国内中学生，乃至小学生的工作量在增加。根据我的几名在国内读初中的朋友的信息，他们每天在完成作业之后，时间已经逼近晚上11点甚至12点。这应该也是大部分中学生的真实写照——这既有环境的原因，也有学习策略的问题。环境无法改变，但是自身所选用的策略是可以被改变的。

这里我们需要澄清一个概念——学习不单单指在学校或培训班里学习。事实上，在即将到来的AI时代，自学能力将会成为重中之重，因为获取学习资源的成本将大幅降低。学校所承担的角色更像是学习的资源，而非学习本身。掌握主动权很重要，如果你只把学校当作学习的一个资源，思路会更清晰。你可以向老师申请，在可能的情况下，更换自己的学习材料和内容。毕竟学校不是一对一定制的，没有办法做到“因材施教”。这个责任更应该落在家长和学生的头上。

接着是第二条，与别人的对比。有一个很经典的段子：“明明我现在的物质条件比以前的皇帝都好，有手机，有空调，有汽车。怎么还是整天愁眉苦脸的呢？” 这就需要设定一个很重要的前提：很多时候，幸福是比出来的，不是感受到的。虽然我们都知道真正的幸福应该来自对现状的感恩，但知道并不等于做到。

现在互联网上泛滥着各种贩卖焦虑的信息，某某公司又开始裁员，某某学校的实力比另一所强，某某人在年轻的时候就创业成功，身价千万等等。要知道，无论怎么浏览这些信息，它们本质上都和你没关系——不信你自己想想看，如果不看这些信息，生活会受影响吗？但是有一样东西跟你有关系，那就是你的注意力。你在不知不觉间就把自己最宝贵的资产拱手让人，被那些专门利用焦虑的人不断收割。

你需要动用自己的元认知能力，控制自己不查看这些信息。不让这些信息有机可乘，把注意力放到认知提升上。相信我，一定会有所收获。下次再看到这些信息，请告诫自己：“这些信息对我没有价值，我不应该浪费注意力在这些事情上。”

最后是第三条，对新技术的恐惧。现在被推上风口浪尖的毫无疑问是AI，再具体一些就是Agent，那些拥有一套完整工作流程的模型。毫无疑问，不会运用新工具的人在未来很大概率会被淘汰——尤其是那些做着高重复、低思考含量工作的人。

面对新技术，更应该保持一颗开放的心，而不是一遇到新技术就把它当作洪水猛兽。现在网络上有很多有价值的AI技能分享者，比如@Jackywine 老师，@秋芝2046等。有机会可以多学习一下他们所传授的方法。把用于焦虑的注意力省下来，投入到新工具的掌握中。

在结束之前，我想说的是，焦虑的产生不意味着你落伍了，它仅仅是提醒你，该去适应新环境了。不要让焦虑影响你前进的步伐。

最后，感谢你的耐心。如果你有任何关于此文章的想法和建议，请通过 charlesisworkinghard@gmail.com 联系我，期待你的思考！

保持思考，保重。