Gen Z: Using Digital Journalism and Social Media to Combat the Mental Health Stigma
Disclaimer: The information contained in this publication alludes to mental health topics including but not limited to depression, body image, and eating disorders.
Venturing heights beyond preceding generations, Gen Z has an increased awareness of mental health and wellness. In doing so, Gen Z’s have decreased the stigma around mental health disputes amongst themselves. Using the internet as a tool, the platform harbors resources and opportunities for social media conversation. Gen Z is all too familiar with the vulnerability that comes along with posting a piece of yourself onto the internet. Social media, and the internet as a whole, have linked Gen Z with other people’s experiences, whether it be strangers on the web or well-known celebrities and mental wellness influencers.
How is Gen Z approaching mental health compared to previous generations? Gen Z was raised during tumultuous times that ignited a range of additional stressors including 9/11, campus shootings, political upheavals, climate change, and the climb of social media pressure. According to Arlin Cunic, the reason for this trend of increasing use of mental health services and reporting mental health being poor rides on three distinct factors: “Life has introduced a different variety of stressors, leading to increased psychological concerns and more need for services for mental health. Secondly, the awareness of mental health issues has grown, so that what once might have been ignored is recognized as a problem and treated as such. Thirdly, the stigma around using mental health services has lessened, making it more likely that Gen Z will identify their own issues and seek help when they feel they have a mental health problem that can be treated” (Cunic). As a result, the generation has continually proven to be unashamed when discussing mental health in stark contrast to previous generations. Rather than associating mental health as a weakness, Gen Z views mental health education as a way to connect with and support others on a deeper level in order to create a more inclusive and accepting environment.
Known for short-form videos, Gen Z’s TikTok has become a platform for thousands of health and wellness professionals including therapists, psychiatrists, and mental health allies to spark conversations ranging from ADHD to depression. New York Psychiatrist, Naomi Toress-Mackie, affirmed, “A clear benefit is accessibility of information — TikTok is a free service that anyone with internet access can utilize…it makes mental health help more accessible. It means that more interest around mental health topics is gaining traction in popular culture, which can be positive for the stigmatization of mental health” (Drillinger). With the help of the suggested For You Page, TikTok directs users to applicable and relatable creators. Mental health influencers on the application express their own stories through video-format, impacting those directly affected by mental health issues. The short video-from retains attention effectively while also fostering a relationship between the user and the creator. Rooting deeper connections online, new technological innovations, like live streaming, allow for more back-and-forth dialogue and personalized interactions. Even for those who are not directly impacted by mental health issues, mental health advocates serve to explain terminology to educate allies via social media.
TikTok’s implementation of curated resources and accessible hotlines on the application are in line with the community of users who have engaged in the platform to adopt mental health conversations. If a user searches hashtags or content related to eating disorders, suicide, depression, or mental health concerning terms, the TikTok search engine queues resources and information for support. Especially amidst the pandemic, users combating loneliness and other adversities turned to mental health and wellness videos on the platform. According to NBC Universal News, “The #MentalHealth hashtag has been viewed more than 16.4 billion times on the app and the #MentalHealthMatters hashtag has been viewed more than 13.5 billion times. Even the misspelled #Mentalhealth hashtag has been viewed more than a billion times” (NBC News). Through TikTok, Gen Z has created a space for their generation, and future generations, to initiate honest and open conversations about mental wellbeing.
Exploring personal experiences, reflecting on the stories, changing the mental health narrative, and publicly sharing them is a vulnerable, risk-worthy task. However, the reward lies in positively impacting the healing process of the many. By voicing experiences and mental health struggles on the internet, it encourages users to join the conversation. This goes to show the power in vulnerable writing and the power in sharing experiences. The power lies in the potential impact the story could or will have on a family member, a friend, or a stranger viewing the post. From a personal growth standpoint dealing with the evitable stress and pressure that comes along with everyday endeavors, writing functions as a healthy way to express overwhelming emotions. According to Barbara Field, “Storytellings power in regulating physiological and psychological functions is not to be dismissed. It’s a simple intervention in alleviating pain and discomfort and changing our emotional landscape” (Fields). Fleshing out thoughts and jotting pressures on paper help cool steam and let go of a situation. Odds are, someone on the internet will not only relate to your story, but share the same feelings. By normalizing mental health conversations and lessening the stigma among previous generations, social media has forged an alliance through collaborative conversation. Social media bases have created a support system that previous generations did not have access to, whether the viewers may be family, friends, or strangers on the Internet affirming messages.
Contrastive from millennials and Gen X’s, — generations where conversations alluding to mental health problems or seeking out help were seen as a weakness — Gen Z has grown up in a world where seeking treatment for psychological needs is considered the norm. This forges a barrier between the responses and resources in corporations, institutions, and social media when it comes to generations. As mental health support and empathy is not always encouraged across generational lines, Gen Z has to connect through each other to build community within themselves if they are not receiving the support they need across other generations.
As a result, the approach to mental health conversations with parents and grandparents has become crucial. How to ask for therapy, how to approach a loved one who is struggling but not actively seeking help, different ways to cope with low self-esteem, and how to take care of your own mental well-being — Gen Z is daunted with the task of not only educating themselves but also leading as an example for previous generations. Social media serves as the driving force for this shared narrative of the mental health journey. The guidance from mental health influencers, the prevalence of advertisements for resources, and the exchange of user communication all play a role in creating community and building the narrative.
Notably, Kelly Uchima is an active mental health advocate who uses Youtube media, Instagram, and TikTok as tools to support others. She spreads encouragement for adolescents combating eating disorders, depression, family trauma, and abusive relationships. Her weekly podcast, Therapy Thursday, provides an honest account of her current and ongoing struggles while, “…talking to them in a way where they feel invited to reflect on their feelings,” Uchima said. “I don’t need them to pay attention to me. I want them to pay attention to themselves” (Admin). Uchima affirms her purpose, as well as the common purpose amongst other mental health influencers, is “…not just because we like to entertain, but also because we had no one. We had no friends, we had no community. We wanted to create our own” (Admin). Despite the fact that Gen Z took the extra step to reduce the stigma and normalize mental health matters, previous generations paved the foundation.
Before @KellyU, Kelly Uchima’s handle was @KellyUfit. Uchima attained an initial following through fitness content on Instagram. It was not until she recognized the unhealthy habits that she shifted her mindset and her handle name. Nesting unhealthy tendencies, the fitness page idolized unrealistic beauty standards. According to Uchima, “Since I was in this fitness community, I’d built a pretty large following and I realized that a lot of us were actually really unhappy and struggling, but all felt like we had to pretend” (Admin). For Kelly, that was the turning point of her wellness journey. The connectedness of social media allowed the public eye to follow her journey and learn from her story. As a result of the impact Uchima’s shift had on viewers, she chose instead to share her deepest struggles with internal challenges like mental health and sobriety, rather than a body transforming fitness page.
Not to mention, Kelly Uchima’s story, along with the transforming story of many other wellness icons, parallels that of my own. Freshman year of college, I created a “foodstagram” on Instagram, @biteswithshaudeh. The first few posts, I would merely list my order in bullet points with the location’s name… short, sweet, bland. Soon enough, I uncovered that every dinner table has a story. Every restaurant has an experience. Every experience has a memory to be shared. With that revelation and passion for journalism, the account evolved. The reviews began with a hook, ended with a pun, and painted a sensational picture of beautiful meals. Within 2 months, the account rallied up 1,000+ followers. Through Bites With Shaudeh, I found a genuine love for writing personal memoirs and creative journalism. A few awards later through personal memoir writing competitions, I explored my creative side, my networking sphere, and multi-media outlets beyond Instagram.
There were countless times where I would go out to eat for “the content” “do it for bites” or get a meal “On. Bites.” Routinely, I felt like absolute trash a few hours later. A bloated failure. Discouraged. I went through the same cycle that every teenager is familiar with. I over ate, I under ate, I went keto for 3 days, I went pescatarian for a month, and then I stopped restricting with no structure at all for months. In the end, I found myself more uncomfortable and unhappy than I was the year before. Uchima summed the emotions up better than I could put into words myself: “I remember just being so broken, struggling with juggling three different jobs, going to school, and working out. So I started therapy.” Cut this keto, weight watchers, intermittent fasting, calorie deficit, juice cleansing, “fruit has too much sugar”, portion weighing, trending diet culture BS. Do not resign to the pull of this downward spiral influenced by TikTok or social media. The spiral leads to a toxic relationship towards food with a bounce back worse than you started with. They are short term wins with long, long term losses. You should never miss out on making memories with those you love because of food. You should not “save calories” for a social event.
Here I was raving over meals and dishes that were extremely difficult for me to endure. Slowly, I came to realize that the account was a cover up for my not so hot relationship with food. Despite the fact that the Instagram page made it seem like I had a great relationship with food, it was really difficult to motivate myself to go out to dinner instead of counting my calories.
In the spring of my sophomore year, I opened up to my followers about my struggles. I publicized and vocalized my hardships with food and lack of motivation to eat. The joy and passion that comes along with writing a review for a post is what kept me going. However, it felt hypocritical and immoral to continue the account on this road. After drawing encouraging and heartwarming reactions from my followers, friends, and family, the account made a full 180°. I uncovered the benefits of journalism as a tool for self-care.
I continued to write full-hearted accounts on the Instagram profile, now known as “Much love, Shaudeh”. As underlined by the forefront of the digital blog, “Sometimes a story from the 8th grade, sometimes a vulnerable memoir, other times an outpour of unstructured, raw thoughts” (Farjami). Eventually, I hit a roadblock the summer of 2022 when Instagram continuously flagged my word count on posts as “too long” for its liking. Instead of continually forfeit content to narrow in on the word count, I created my own website platform. The blog focuses on how daunting and overwhelming the nature of the early twenties are, featuring stories like Drafting a PlayBook for Success: Back to School Habits, and 20 Things I Learned in my 20s, Embracing Loneliness as an Extrovert, and Simple versus Guilty Pleasures.
As a result, I have found that setting aside time to write a weekly blog post allows me to process thoughts, unfold decisions, reflect on the day behind me, and leave it all on the paper. In regards to my literary skills, journaling has helped me become more vulnerable and genuine as a writer. With each day, I find it easier to put my honest emotions into words. When it comes to my blog, it is essential to be as real and authentic as possible with my advice and conversation. Sure enough, there is always someone that will relate to your thoughts and be in the midst of the same thought process. The practice of journaling on a personal level has improved my voice, literary skills, and confidence as an academic and independent writer while also benefiting my mental health as a young adult.
Below is a compilation of mental health resources in the USC area:
The Happy Hour at USC: Mental Health Awareness Club
Downtown Mind Wellness: Therapy and Psychiatry
Crossroads Institute for Psychotherapy and Assessment
http://www.crossroads-psych.com
Fig Tree Therapy Center
Work Cited
Admin, Ben. “Who’s next — Kelly Uchima!” BEN, 6 Dec. 2021, https://ben.productplacement.com/news-insights/whos-next-kelly-uchima/.
Cuncic, Arlin. “Why Gen Z Is More Open to Talking about Their Mental Health.” Verywell Mind, Verywell Mind, 25 Mar. 2021, https://www.verywellmind.com/why-gen-z-is-more-open-to-talking-about-their-mental-health-5104730.
Drillinger, Meagan. “How TikTok Became a Mental Health Resource.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 28 June 2022, https://www.healthline.com/health-news/what-to-know-about-using-tiktok-as-a-mental-health-resource#How-to-find-mental-health-help-on-TikTok-(or-elsewhere).
Farjami, Shaudeh. Much Love, Shaudeh Farjami, http://www.shaudehfarjami.blog/.
Field, Barbara. “How Storytelling Is Good for Your Mental Health.” Verywell Mind, Verywell Mind, 17 Nov. 2021, https://www.verywellmind.com/how-storytelling-is-good-for-your-mental-health-5199744.
“TikTok Has New Mental Health Resources for Its Users. Some Experts Say It’s a Good Start.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/tiktok-has-new-mental-health-resources-its-users-some-experts-n1279944.
