The Romanticization of Mental Illness in Media (tw: mention of suicide, and mental illness)
- speakwhat youwear
- Jul 3, 2021
- 2 min read
Written by Eileen Kuang
From the ‘depression aesthetic’ to encouraging disordered eating, the mainstream media we consume has become littered with the casual presence of mental illness. It’s a stark contrast from the dehumanization and ignorance that the mere mention of mental illness brought in the past. Many of those who grew up in the 1980s to early 2000s are all too familiar with the stigma around therapy and mental disorders. Yet now, apps like Tiktok and Tumblr have glorified illnesses like anxiety and ADHD as a ‘quirky’ part of life.
Many have gathered massive followings and/or kick-started careers over their illness(es) through pushing a romanticized narrative of it. By sharing videos such as ‘OCD starter packs’ that overlook the harmful outcomes of mental illness, they broadcast the ‘look’ of disorders as something cool and appealing. This, in turn, encourages self-diagnosis, which is reckless and toxic.
However, it’s not only social media that projects this glamourization.
According to a study published by the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, within a month of the release of the series ‘13 Reasons Why’, researchers recorded a rise in suicide rates in youth between ages 10-17. This was due to the plot and elaborate depiction of the lead character’s suicide.
If these films, and many others like it, had consulted more mental health professionals, approached the topic more respectfully, and took into account the impact of their work, we would see a healthier and more diverse representation of mental illness in the media.
The idea of mental illness as ‘passionate’ and ‘beautifully tragic’ is dangerous. It profits off of those who genuinely struggle with their mental health and minimizes their struggles to a stereotype or aesthetic. It is crucial to recognize the risks of mental illness, while not treating it as an inherent flaw.
Sources:
https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/May-2019/From-Stigmatized-to-Sensationalized https://gen.medium.com/netflix-loves-to-romanticize-mental-health-4e8f9b0e7a50
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