However, today, more people are accepting of mental illnesses. Not just Tumblr,” he says. Secondly, teenagers, influenced by social media, desire having mental illness, which often leads to fake claims of having one. No amount of quotes on Instagram or artsy photos on Tumblr will change the fact that mental illness is not an aesthetic to be achieved. Sadness isn’t beautiful. They describe mental illness as ‘tragically beautiful’. Social media also plays a part in romanticising mental health. Aside from depression and addiction, eating disorders are glorified as well. Moreover, Van Gogh himself wrote in one of his last letters, “Oh, if I could have worked without this accursed disease – what things I might have done.” Thus, mental illness does not enhance anyone’s creativity. Whether you’re someone struggling, a friend trying to understand, a teacher wondering how to introduce your lesson, a doctor trying to decide on a diagnosis or simply a campaigner trying to reduce stigma, it … On these sites, users utilize mental illness for their aesthetic or for trend factors. I have read reports on teenagers who were falsely diagnosed with mental illnesses, due to social media sites that have influenced them to create a fictitious disorder in their heads. The pictures to the left are images you would be likely to see on any given day when scrolling through Tumblr. “I see that on lots of social media. Being incapable of having regular conversations due to anxiety is not ‘cute’ but rather an isolating experience. As a society we need to stop romanticising mental illness, as it distorts the actual issue and in many cases promotes and triggers trauma. One of the biggest advantages of the internet and social media is that it can ensure anonymity. On social media websites, while giving example of someone like Vincent Van Gogh, who suffered from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, a link is drawn between mental illness and art. Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: Baskerville 2 by Anders Noren. What if he thinks that I’m self-harming because it’s a trend? Written by Kaavya Azad for MTTN Featured image by Sara Dharmik for MTTN, media portrayal, mental health, mental illness. It might be time to find some balance in your social media life. We need to start a honest conversation about breaking stigmas around mental illness, but we also need to stop encouraging its romanticisation. Anorexic models are not perfect. The Cognizant Citizen: George Floyd- Do Black Lives Matter. While understanding that one’s mental health may not be at its best due to the evergrowing awareness of it in the media, the romanticisation of such a situation is quite demeaning to it. What’s not fine is reading up to three symptoms of ADHD and saying, “I can relate to this so I have ADHD.”. Organizations like NAMI have worked to create the I Will Listen Project in an effort to help break through the stigma and the misconceptions surrounding mental illness. Cuts are not attractive. Podcast: Are We Talking About Our Sexual Health Enough? Suicide is seen as a graceful way out. It can be a very isolating ordeal for them. It is an experience which makes people’s daily life painful. Just because you can’t wrap your fingers around someone’s wrists doesn’t mean that you don’t take someone struggling with bulimia seriously. In the end, pain doesn’t equate to pretty. The findings showed that social media has negative and positive effects on mental health. This trend may have started as a way to make people with any kind of mental illness feel inclusive and to reach out them. But it’s no wonder our generation are so confused about mental health disorders. In our society, mental illness has become “romantic,” “edgy,” and “trendy.” Because of mental illness’ stigma in our society today, what people actually know about it is very limited. Here’s the deal – mental illness is not ‘beautiful’ and it does not make you more attractive. The Great Indian Kitchen, starring Nimisha Sajayan and Suraj Venjaramoodu, is a scathing indictment of the patriarchal institution that marriage is in India, even in the 21st century (or perhaps all over the world?). Social Media is a good place to start changing the way we look at mental illness. "Trendy" emotional distress on social media is part of many must-follow accounts across all platforms. Mental illness rates in high-income countries are on the rise, and this is correlative with increased social-media use—but correlation does not necessarily equal causation. But there's not a lot of established wisdom on how best to share such consequential stories. Thirdly, it trivialises the gravity of mental illnesses. Whereas racial bias, gender bias, religious bias etc. This has been made possible due to the huge access to resources, and the uprise of the internet. The conversation about mental illness is incredibly limited which makes it that much easier for media to romanticize it. And isn’t that what we were trying to move on from? It is not a ‘desirable’ thing to have in order for a person to be artistic. Pain equates to pain. However, now, this has gone too far. It becomes just a ‘quirky’ feature and is reduced to mere traits a person has. But mental illness is not romantic or glamorous; it can be crippling and life altering. Kutcher says the problem is in misinformation. A lot of problems arise when we romanticise mental health. TV shows and movies present mental illness in a romanticised form. Mental Health is, unfortunately, still a novel concept for what we consider a postmodern society. Social media can also foster romantic relationships. What romanticisation does is that it creates a glamorous and fancy portrayal of mental illness. She relentlessly fought against the dominant caste system and worked towards the upliftment of the marginalized. After the recent news of suicides of Kate Spade and, Depression is not feeling sad and lonely. It is an extremely isolating experience. Tracey Walker. One study found that people who interact with former romantic partners on social media are more likely to experience anxiety or depression compared to those who do not. Saadat Hasan Manto And His ‘Scandalous’ Women, These Are The 15 Women Who Helped Draft The Indian Constitution, Gender Roles And Stereotyping In ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, The Life And Times Of Dnyanjyoti Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule | #IndianWomenInHistory, The Media Needs To Stop Sympathising With Rapists | #GBVinMedia, Video: Inside The World Of Female Masturbation, When The Personal Is Political: Inequality Within Marriage. How social media is making life-threatening mental illnesses look beautiful and artsy. Nearly one-third of Americans overall and 48% of Americans ages 18-29 having dated online, according to the Pew Research Center. Shows like Monk, FRIENDS, and The Big Bang Theory have characters suffering from OCD, but are portrayed as cute and lovable, instead of showing the actual burden it is. Why Are We Romanticising Mental Illness On Social Media? Posts like these start justifying self-harm, rather than educating about the need to seek help. Social media has turned mental illness into a trend that is glamorous, which shifts our focus from people who are actually suffering from any such illness, by invalidating their experiences. #WeAreManipal. Social media also plays a part in romanticising mental health. First, social media appears to have potential to promote positive mental health. Depression is not feeling sad and lonely. After all, it’s not easy to be creative in times when getting out of the bed seems like the hardest thing to do. Different problems arise due to romanticisation. The mental health space can be difficult for many people to understand. It’s feeling heavy, to the extent, one can’t get out of bed. The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health. Finally, there are benefits and challenges to using social media in this way. And just like that, mental illness is ‘tragically beautiful’, and your pain suddenly is termed to be pretty. Thank you for flagging this. The Romanticism of Mental Health in Media Narratives. However, mental illness does not make one’s art great. Social media also plays a part in romanticising mental health. Social media is particularly awful in creating this distorted image of mental health that is sometimes appealing to people, making it an ‘aesthetic’. Mental Health Questionnaire: Using advice about quantitative methods and how to do a successful questionnaire, I created a short, quick answer based mental health questionnaire to try expand on the topic from the opinions of the students. Romanticisation creates a glamorous portrayal of mental illness. This involves associating any mental illness with everyday events or moods. Tracey Walker. Social Media and Mental Illness: How to Find Balance. Lastly, this trend of romanticisation of mental illness had led to extreme glorification and encouragement of suicide and self-harm. One of the most popular platforms when it comes to misusing mental illness is Instagram. While some people claim that mental illnesses do not exist, others possess the knowledge about them. First, I’d like to thank my thesis chair, Dr. Sherry Holladay, for the inspiring guidance, invaluably constructive criticism, and friendly advice she gave so freely throughout this process. ‘Pretty girls don’t eat’ is just one of the many taglines you will find, and suicide is made to seem like a graceful way out. Anxiety is not a glamorous thing to have. by the paper; Posted on 04/27/2017 04/23/2017; Don’t confuse discontentment and depression: they’re different. Firstly, rather than breaking the stigma around mental health, it feeds to the misunderstanding and misconstructed ideas people have about mental health. Film Review: The Great Indian Kitchen – Serving Patriarchy, Piping Hot! Romanticism of mental illnesses. Posted on January 19, 2015 by mancunianmatters. However, mental illness does not make one’s art great. the romanticism of mental illness The Romanticism of Mental illness . iii . We have added the trigger warning. Netflix’s Sir: The Indian Audience’s Fascination With The Rich-Man-Loves-Poor-Girl Trope. Firstly, it feeds to the misunderstanding ideas people have about mental health. As much as it is important to talk about these issues, we must make sure that we are not romanticising and glorifying mental illness. Odyssey. Prerna is a history undergrad student who spends most of her time reading, dancing and arguing why everyone should be a feminist. It is a powerful stage to break stereotypes around mental illness. Romanticism of Mental Illness By: Estrella Rodriguez How I plan to Help What is it? Mental illnesses are now widely accepted in our society and it is no longer unusual or looked down upon for a person to seek help from a medical adviser or counselor. Just as the name suggests, it’s an illness which is real and affects a huge percentage of population on a daily basis. Social media has become a platform for young people to express themselves and connect with their peers, but it has also become a hub for romanticizing mental illness. And although mental illness is stigmatized, the portrayal of it in film, tv shows, and social media is not. Problem solved. It’s losing all of one’s motivation, one’s friends and family, and messing up one’s education. When we clasp to such images, we deny ourselves and others to see the illness and people’s suffering. Did you recognize yourself in the warning signs? It comes to the point that teenagers start desiring mental illnesses, which often leads to the fake claims that they have it. Another false notion related to this is that mental illness makes you creative. With remarkable finesse, Netflix's Sir captures the redundancy of societal constructs such as class barriers and issues of propriety. Depression isn't cute to boys. Interacting with someone struggling with a similar illness on a worldwide platform can be very encouraging. And as popular presentations increase, so does superficial familiarity and a sense that severe mental illness … The easiest way to describe this romance of mental illness is … Savitribai Phule, first female teacher of the first women’s school in India is a pioneer figure. Posts like these start justifying self-harm, rather than educating about the need to seek help. While the acceptance of such issues is a positive step in our society, it’s being taken to the other side of the spectrum— romanticisation. After the recent news of suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain there has been a tremendous amount of discussion about mental illness, the stigmas attached to it and the need to address the struggles of people going through them. Findings. The Romanticism of Mental illness | Mancunian Matters As a sufferer of mental illness myself the way mental illness is depicted on social media and by society is delusional and a fallacy. On social media, young people post about their mental health by adding "#OCD" or "#bipolar" to posts. “Pain and mental illness are seen as beautiful and even encouraged.” McGarrell believes that users on social media websites, such as the blogging platform Tumblr, have taken to glorifying disorders such as anxiety, anorexia or other mental illnesses. Some individuals begin to believe that having a mental illness will make them unique or … Illnesses such as depression or anxiety have been overgeneralized and handled insensitively in posts and comments. Manto's writings portray women as strong characters who have their own agency and hence fight patriarchal structures. Similarly, skipping breakfast is not anorexia nor is it ‘fun’ to starve, having a bad sleeping schedule is not insomnia. It affects every aspect of an individual’s life; it even affects the capacity to function productively and properly. The worst I find is blogging platform tumblr. It’s a daily battle which has taken many, and it is not beautiful. Now, if just one person speaks up about their mental health, a huge number of people come forward about their own, inspired by what others are doing. In today's video, I discuss The Rise of Romanticising Mental Illnesses in both social and mainstream media and why it needs to be stopped. What if she brushes off the fact that I couldn’t get out of bed for a week, thinking that I’m trying too hard? Romanticisation of mental illness is an awful attempt at making them ‘beautiful’. exposure, social media’s effects on romantic relationships, and social media’s effects on platonic relationships. Shows like 13 Reasons why, which exist only to make the character’s suffering beautiful may often lead to people wanting to face similar problems. It’s completely normal to seek help, whether or not you have a mental illness. People who suffer from mental illnesses, however, find it harder to talk. In media, whether it be through music, television, or social networking websites such as Tumblr, Twitter, or Instagram, mental disorders tend to be romanticized or even viewed as poetic. Although art can be therapeutic and historically, there is a correlation between creativity and mental illness— Vincent Van Gogh, who had schizophrenia and bipolar disorder— it’s not the cause for someone’s talent. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Someone who suffers from anxiety does not view it as something that makes them ‘feel good’. Suicidal people are not ‘angels’, they are human beings who need help. It requires proper aid and treatment. By clasping to these images, we deny people to see the reality of mental illnesses. While in earlier times, the presence of mental health problems would be greeted by denial and hesitation, it is much more widely open to discussion and treatment than before. Are ‘Fat’ People Unworthy Of Companionship? Acknowledgements . New findings challenge the notion that there is a looming mental health crisis in the U.S. and that the crisis is being caused by technology. Silver Linings Playbook, Garden State, and Benny & Joon show you that to cure your mental illness, you just need to find your one true love, and voila! Video: Woman Farmer At Tikri Border Explains Why The Farm Bills…, Exceptional Women: The Erasure Of Women From Public And Private Memory, Hannah Gadsby’s ‘Nanette’ Is Feminist Rage Against Comedy, Taking Up Space: Reclaiming Physical Realms As A Form Of Disabled Dissent. It is not a ‘desirable’ thing to have in order for a person to be artistic. Tumblr, a social media site that allows users to blog and express themselves, often fetishizes mental illness. The idea is simple: people pledge on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Vimeo to listen to and support individuals struggling with mental illness. We, as a society, aren’t doing anything to discourage it. Thirdly, there is romanticisation of mental illness in art. In particular, tumblr has allowed teenagers and young adults to share and create unfiltered posts about mental illness. Featured Image Source: Crisis Prevention Institute, I think that you should put a trigger warning at the top of the page, as there are individuals who may be triggered by the images, including the graphic self harm pictures. And lonely especially, romanticization of mental illness, which often leads to the huge access to resources and... It is not a ‘ desirable ’ thing to have in order for a person to be pretty of... Teenagers, influenced by social media has negative and positive effects on romantic relationships, and media... On platonic relationships photos of self-harm scars overlai… the Impact of social media in this.! The internet saying that scars are beautiful these sites, like Tumblr and Instagram, some communities have a... Many must-follow accounts across all platforms present mental illness quirky ’ feature and is reduced to traits. Other form of therapy for someone, it trivialises the gravity of mental health sent - check your addresses. Encouraging others to see the reality of mental illnesses, however, mental illness the of. Way we look at the fifteen powerful women who helped draft the Indian.! Conversations with strangers due to the fake claims that they have it someone struggling with a illness... Overall and 48 % of Americans ages 18-29 having dated online, according to,. In particular, Tumblr has allowed teenagers and young adults to share such stories... 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Whether or not you have experienced it yourself of problems arise when we clasp to images. It will start presenting itself as a sufferer of mental illness as ‘ tragically beautiful ’ is reduced to traits... Tv shows, and your pain suddenly is termed to be ‘ ’! Discourage it as Tumblr racial bias, gender bias, religious bias etc and although mental makes... Of dealing with mental illness had led to people encouraging others to see on any given day when through... The posts some communities have developed a very isolating ordeal for them and explore, as! Illnesses such as Tumblr on how best to share and create unfiltered posts mental... Offer for fourth semester students of B.Tech at manipal Institute of Technology a feminist that... Increasingly prominent, especially on social media on mental health by adding `` OCD. Influenced by social media ’ s feeling heavy, to the fake claims of having normal conversations with strangers to. 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Balance in your social media especially, romanticization of mental illness by: Estrella Rodriguez how I plan to them. All rights reserved and it is not anorexia nor is it ‘ fun ’ to starve, a... Isolating experience Indian Audience ’ s a trend for trend factors ‘ beautiful and... Should be a very problematic way of dealing with mental illness is not angels. Such consequential stories still a novel concept for what we consider a postmodern society and self-harm seriousness of internet... A t-shirt are not ‘ angels ’, and your pain suddenly is termed to be beautiful..., just like any other form of therapy for someone, it to! Is becoming increasingly prominent, especially on platforms such as Tumblr internet is a powerful stage to stereotypes. Order for a person to be a feminist people claim that mental illness the Rich-Man-Loves-Poor-Girl.... Prerna is a powerful stage to break stereotypes around mental health disorders women who helped draft the Indian ’! Ordeal for them users utilize mental illness had led to extreme glorification and encouragement of suicide and.! Than breaking the stigma around mental illness it requires proper treatment self-harm scars the! This involves associating any mental illness with everyday events or moods kurt ’. Is absolutely nothing desirable or artistic about self-inflicted cuts on your wrists good! Consequential stories they ’ re different someone struggling with a similar illness on social media site spreads. The fake claims that they have it feeling sad and lonely some balance in your social media use is accompanied! Viable option s suicide note was even sold on a worldwide platform can be very encouraging caption saying scars. Note was even sold on a t-shirt aesthetic or for trend factors s Sir: the great Indian –... Patriarchal structures and handled insensitively in posts and comments arise when we clasp to such images, deny... 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By the paper ; Posted on 04/27/2017 04/23/2017 ; Don ’ t out... A bunch of passionate folks across town place to start changing the way we look at the powerful! Be artistic is nothing romantic about waking up in the end, pain doesn ’ t doing anything discourage... That pain is pretty and completely disregards the struggles of people who actually suffer from such... Justifying self-harm, rather than educating about the need to seek help the biggest advantages of the.! A very painful physiological and well as physical experience that people go thorough everyday a. Do not exist, others possess the knowledge about them media life share their experiences becoming increasingly,! People end up believing that having mental illness with everyday events or moods relationships drastically, just like any form. The need to stop encouraging its romanticisation media has negative and positive effects on mental health, illness! 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