Court McGrew
Sep 2, 2018 · 2 min read

I think all those factors play a role with some carrying more weight than others depending on the individual. The two that I believe are really different from when I was younger till now are awareness of depression and connectivity with other people/information.

When I was originally diagnosed with depression in high school 25 years ago it was just one of those things you never talked about with other people, especially if you were fighting it yourself. It had a stigma about it and most people didn’t know what it even meant. Nowadays, many more people know about it even if they don’t have it or know someone who has it and those who do have it feel more comfortable discussing it. The stigma is still there but greatly diminished from years ago.

When I say connectivity, it’s all about the internet and social media, both the good and bad it has brought to society. The world is much more connected and informed than 25 years ago. It’s really easy now to get information, news and opinions, not just from the circle of people you know but also from strangers on the other side of the world. The scope of the world and humanity as well as all of its problems is available in your pocket or bag whenever you want to look. The knowledge and opinions available are nearly infinite. Back in the day you needed to make an effort to get that kind of information through TV, radio or the newspaper, or just talking to that friend of yours who had the latest news. You could only consume finite amounts a few times a day. You can’t become unhappy about the problems you don’t know about. Now you can become aware of every problem in the world quickly and unfiltered by a content gatekeeper like the mass media in the past.

I guess you could call it information overload, it’s much easier to OD on it today.

Great article, thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Court McGrew

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Cube dweller and food blogger, trying to write more for fun and sanity. Battling depression and I have the upper hand at the moment.