Written by: Nyama Amat
Edited by: Christine Huang
In today’s rapidly growing digital age, where all media content is carefully curated prior to public presentation, the representation of mental illness has evolved significantly over time. Historically, movies and television shows have negatively portrayed individuals living with mental illness, often focusing on negative symptoms and stereotypes associated with having a mental illness. With the rise of social media platforms that have infiltrated countless lives across nations, mental health issues are being reframed with glamorous and desirable attributes. While social media can be greatly credited with playing a role in the efforts towards reducing stigmas around mental illness, it has blurred the line between raising awareness and romanticizing. This has led to the fostering of damaging attitudes and perceptions of mental health in addition to the spreading of harmful misconceptions, particularly among younger audiences.
The glamorization of mental illness manifests itself through romantic or artistically crafted portrayals of disorders that deviate significantly from the harsh realities of living with these conditions. In visual media, such as movies and social media platforms like Instagram, there is a common tendency to aesthetically craft symptoms of mental illnesses. A portrayal of an individual experiencing depression, for instance, may be depicted experiencing despair or isolation in a visually pleasing manner with atmospheric lighting and background music. This seemingly miniscule contribution by the creator is often overlooked by viewers, but this instills beliefs that these experiences are desirable or beautiful to experience. Movies and television shows also tend to romanticize mental health struggles by diagnosing a character with a mental illness who continues on to experience a profound personal insight or enlightened creativity with the “help” of their condition. This implies to viewers that mental illnesses are linked to gaining deep philosophical knowledge or desirable creative abilities. A particularly harmful way the media glamorizes mental illnesses is through oversimplifying mental health recoveries. A movie scene may depict a character who overcomes their psychological struggles easily and quickly after finding love or experiencing a dramatic event. Common depictions like these distort and undermine the complex reality of living with a mental health condition and contribute to the lack of understanding of these conditions in our society. Furthermore, mass media tends to highlight certain aspects and symptoms of mental illnesses that could be deemed as more “entertaining” or “dramatic” for media consumption. This is especially seen in horror genres, which frequently use mental illness as a way to denote a character as dangerous or harmful to others. Not only does it demonize individuals with mental illnesses, but also further contributes to the stigmatization of mental illness by associating these conditions with villainy and fear.
Mental illnesses are complex and often misunderstood conditions that affect individuals in profound ways that should not be reduced to a movie scene or social media post. When these conditions are glamorized, the seriousness of this struggle is obscured by a more attractive and false representation that can seem appealing to many. This misrepresentation contributes to the greater lack of understanding society already has of mental health and minimizes the real experiences of individuals with these conditions. The promotion of these unrealistic images of mental illness can also breed insensitivity towards those who don’t fit these portrayals and further stigmatization of these individuals. An individual may feel that their mental health experience is not valid because they don’t fit with the glamorized experience they see in the media, exacerbating feelings of loneliness and misunderstanding. Individuals may also be less likely to seek treatment for their mental illnesses if these conditions and symptoms are portrayed as an element of an attractive persona rather than a varying and complex condition. The unrealistic belief that experiencing great hardships is necessary for depth or to be attractive is dangerous and prevents many from seeking the support they need. These negative effects predominantly reach young and impressionable individuals, especially those who may be struggling with gaining a sense of self-identity. The glamorization of mental illnesses have a particularly strong impact on these vulnerable audiences and it can affect how they view themselves and their struggles. They may romanticize their mental health conditions because this is what they are accustomed to seeing through the media, instead of recognizing the need for help.
Social media has indubitably played a significant role in the glamorization of mental illness, with the rise of aesthetic-driven platforms such as Tumblr and Instagram. The embellished portrayals of illnesses like depression and anxiety are harmful to our society’s understanding of mental health and to individuals who experience the reality of these conditions. To combat this growing issue as mass media continues to expand, increasingly accurate and truthful representations of mental health must be produced. The reality of these illnesses should be emphasized in mental health education, without an addition of stigmatization and embellishment for entertainment purposes. Media producers should also consider the implications of prioritizing aesthetics over authenticity, especially during an era in which young, impressionable audiences consume social media more than ever before. The glamorization of mental illness is a dangerous and increasingly prevalent issue but can be tackled if more empathetic dialogues and portrayals of these conditions are encouraged in our society.
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