Mental Illness In The Media
It’s safe to say that most people know someone who struggles with mental illness, whether it’s themselves, a family member, or a friend, but Hollywood and social media are being accused of romanticizing mental illness, making it look like a personality quirk rather than an intensely personal experience that can have a lifelong impact.
TikTokkers and YouTubers open up to audiences, garnering millions of views and dopamine-driving likes, inspiring pretenders to share their fictional mental health journeys. Many are also concerned with young people self-diagnosing themselves as neurodivergent after watching the videos, potentially spreading misinformation and leaving a digital footprint they’ll regret later in life.