Online glorification of mental illnesses encourages harmful behavior in adolescent internet users
The internet sensationalizes mental health problems, and it’s negatively affecting teenagers
Social media has offered teens an efficient and quick way to express themselves to the world from the comfort of their electronic devices. Despite its upsides, teens have also used the internet as an outlet for glorifying legitimate mental health issues.
In a 2022 Ted Talk, student and educator Chloe Moukadem discussed how social media leads to the misinterpretation of mental illnesses through sensationalization.
“[Blogs] have attempted to persuade readers into believing that eating disorders are desirable by discouraging men and women from being satisfied with their own bodies,” Moukadem said.
Social media posts such as these may encourage users, especially teens, to exhibit certain behaviors related to mental illnesses in order to relate to others. Adolescents may feel that exhibiting symptoms of mental illness may help them fit in with their peers; both online and within the real world.
In the May 19, 2019 article “From Stigmatized to Sensationalized,” written by Jessie Yu for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Yu said that presenting mental illnesses as “tragically beautiful” online may encourage teens to steer away from treatment. In other words, Romanticizing mental illnesses has a negative effect on all internet users, and ultimately creates a negative mindset towards mental health treatment.
The glorification of mental illnesses will only reinforce the idea that concerning attributes act as unique personality traits, rather than legitimate health issues to be taken seriously. During a time as critical to self-discovery as adolescence, teen users may be more prone to self-diagnosing, taking attention away from those who actually need aid and resources for their mental health issues.
Rather than glorifying concerning behaviors, individuals online can do their part by encouraging treatment for mental disorders, as well as choosing to seek help for their own mental struggles if they have any.
In the words of Chloe Moukadem, “Mental illness is like any other illness — you should want to get better, and you need to actively work towards it. That’s what people should be hearing online.”
Mental disorders can only be properly addressed in online spaces once social media platforms are used to encourage treatment; otherwise, concerning behaviors will only continue to be present themselves in teens worldwide.
