A Tangential Lesson From Aaron Swartz' Death

Aaron's death has left an indelible sadness across the world, and although I barely knew him, I am also shocked and saddened by his sudden departure. A lot of emphasis has been placed on how young Aaron was and how much he had accomplished in such a short time. There has also been a lot of speculation about why Aaron chose to end his life, and unfortunately I don't think we'll ever have a complete answer.

However, this is a good time to discuss the pressures of achieving success early in life. In Silicon Valley, we see companies pushing engineers harder, hiring them younger, and encouraging teenagers to skip college altogether to create the next big startup. Although some adolescents can handle the excitement and pressure, we hear of many child prodigies that suffer from depression and end up taking the same path as Aaron. As an industry, we need to be aware of the fact that achieving success as an adolescent can create pressure that leads to serious mental issues, and if we promote the ideal of "start younger, work harder" we need to also work to create a safety net for those who cannot cope with the stress.