Glorification of Mental Health in Gen Z
Generation Z constantly glorifies mental health through social media platforms. This affects both those with and without mental illnesses
Looking at a computer all day. Staring at a phone when not staring at the computer. Locked up in a room with an occasional 100-feet walk to the kitchen. The only face-to-face interactions through boxes on a screen.
This is the life of a Generation Z high schooler. Every day seemingly like the next. And the one before that. And most likely the one before that, too.
Does this seem like a motivational environment? Does this seem like a healthy way of life, even if it is our reality? This is an environment driven by the connection teenagers have formed on social media, and we do not think this is good. social media affects our daily actions. In order for this environment to adjust, social media has to adjust too.
Mental health can mean many things. Everyone has a mental health. Some are more positive, some are negative, and some are in between. It depends on the person but, we need to stop treating unhealthy mental health as the norm in both social media and society because it leads to self-diagnosing, misdiagnosing and an outsider feeling to those who don’t go through the same things.
The way social media discusses mental health blends with how we discuss emotions and because of that, they can often be mistaken as one and the same. Being sad does not mean you have depression. Being moody does not mean you have bipolar disorders. Being organized does not mean you have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Being nervous does not mean you have anxiety.
Karen Dineen Wagner, MD, PhD, performed a study that showed the affects online learning and COVID-19 has had on students. Both parents and their students were surveyed. 85.7% of parents noticed changes in their teen’s emotions and behaviors as online learning progressed. The students were then asked about which specific areas they were noticing themselves change, “the most frequently observed changes were difficulty concentrating (76.6%), boredom (52%), irritability (39%), restlessness (38.8%), nervousness (38%), loneliness (31.3%), uneasiness (30.4%), and worries (30.1%).”
Gen Z is more involved in society and politics than any generation before them, and they are starting at a young age. For this reason, unhealthy mental health and mental illnesses are becoming more prevalent. Social media has created an environment that leads teenagers to think the emotions they feel have a deeper meaning.
Prior generations did not have social media to that extent, we do. Over 80% of Gen Z says social media shapes the decisions they make, whether that means shopping, food, lifestyle or feelings regarding mental health topics.
Influencers can change our views. We see influencers as perfect figures who can do no wrong because that is how they portray themselves on social media. They are showing us a false reality, but it is easy to be affected by what they are saying. When shopping we may avoid specific brands because a specific influencer does not like them, and we may shop at a different store more because it has been approved by that same influencer.
Mental health is similar. There are some influencers who openly talk about their mental health and are honest with their following, while others choose to hide that side of them. While there is nothing wrong with influencers wanting to keep their mental health private, showing only the good things in life can form a false reality that causes viewers to think they are not good enough because they don’t have a perfect life too.
Some may say social media has created an environment where people feel safe to talk about issues like mental health. But we only see what others want us to see on social media, which is only part of who they are.
While we do need platforms, communities and support groups for people to talk about mental health issues, we need to make sure we avoid the underlying stigmas attached to mental health.
The original goal of normalizing talking about mental health was to draw awareness and educate others who are not as informed. Instead, we created an environment where influencers control our thoughts. Influencers gain their power because we give it to them. Without a following, they wouldn’t have the power they have now. It’s this environment we created that glorifies poor mental health and leaves those who can’t relate on the outside.
We need to create a culture that accepts and discusses mental health and other topics but is caution when coming to conclusions. Thus stopping the glorification of mental health issues. Having mental health issues does not make you inferior or superior. Realizing this is the next step to ending the glorification of unhealthy mental health.
One of the first things we need to do as a generation is to realize that we are the ones that give influencers the power they have. So, we can be the ones to take it away. We need to support creators that accept everyone and create a community where discussion is encouraged. We need to limit the power of influencers who there to show us how perfect their lives are and shame us for not being the shame. Doing this will create a community of acceptance that doesn’t work to downgrade others.
After this, all we can do is monitor what we say. There is no way to completely remove the damage that the stigma surrounding poor mental health has created but, we can work towards limiting how much we let it affect us.
