Stop Romanticizing Things That Hurt: Media’s Influence Towards Mental Health

A majority of people are aware of the umbrella term “mental health”. However; those who are aware of this term, are likely uneducated about how the media glamorizes mental health and more specifically, mental illnesses. Throughout the years, it has become habit in society to negatively glamorize mental illnesses due to the media’s representation of them.  It is evident that from the influence of the media, society now has a disfigured and negative mindset about the severity of mental illnesses.

Wetherhill, Steph. Mental Health as Fashion Slogans? Digital image. Thoughts From My Wave Length. N.p., 5 Jan. 2014. Web. 10 Jan. 2015. <https://thoughtsfrommywavelength.wordpress.com/2014/01/05/mental-health-as-fashion-slogans/>.

To begin, it has become human nature to use current clothing trends to keep up with the social status of our everyday lives. Brand name clothing companies have been a huge part in influencing society to idealize mental illnesses. This advertisement (right) is two products that have been recently carried in a young adult clothing store, Urban Outfitters. Urban Outfitters selling these products, sends a message to society that mental illnesses (such as depression and eating disorders) are not serious issues but rather aspiring fashion trends. When clothing companies advertise these products, they undermine the severity of mental illnesses. The media is very contrasted. Both of these models look proud and confident, however; they wear a mental illness that is exhausting and defeating. Media fails to mention the definition or side effects of what they advertise. For example: “anorexia is the third most common chronic illness among adolescents” (www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/).

This advertisement expresses how media is creating a negative mindset towards mental illnesses by undermining how serious they are and turning them into fashion trends.

Another way media impacts the way we think is through the shows or movies we see on television. When we see characters on television behaving a certain way, it sends a message to the viewers that it is acceptable to act this way too. In the link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9SXnaUFnPw),  is a clip from the teen television series Glee. In this scene, one character, Kitty, is convincing another character, Marley, that it is okay to make herself throw up in order to lose weight. The way Kitty negatively encourages Marley, gives the viewers the idea that it is acceptable to make yourself throw up. This show has had several scenes encouraging the behaviours of eating disorders. Due to television constantly glamorizing mental illnesses, media is teaching society that the behaviour of eating disorders is acceptable. This clip grasps the way media has influenced society to have a negative attitude towards the severity of mental illnesses.

Source: Glee Season 4 Episode 6. Dir. Kevin Tancharoen. Perf. Melissa Benoist and Rebecca Tobin. N.d. Youtube. Melissa Benoist Fan, 21 Aug. 2014. Web. 10 Jan. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9SXnaUFnPw>.

Inmyskinnydream. Names for Mental Illnesses. Digital image. Twicsy. Twicsy, 26 Sept. 2013. Web. 10 Jan. 2015. <http://twicsy.com/i/XDNBie>.

In addition, social media has a negative influence on the way people view mental illnesses. Social media websites such as tumblr and instagram give people access to thousands of corrupt and pessimistic messages towards mental illnesses. This image (left) is from a blogger that promotes the idea that mental illnesses are glamorous. The purpose of this image was to name the mental illness you considered your friend. This sends the idea to anyone who sees this image online that mental illnesses are something a person chooses to have, rather than something that is completely out of their control to have. Posts like these create the idea that mental illnesses are happy and positive (like a friend) when in reality mental illnesses are a serious issue.This image further enhances the 

.idea of how mental illnesses are negatively characterized by social media

Mental Illnesses as Adjectives. Digital image. Upside Down Chronicles. N.p., 17 May 2014. Web. 10 Jan. 2015. <http://upsidedownchronicles.com/2014/05/17/mental-illnesses-and-adjectives/>

It is clear to see that media has a way of impacting the way we think on a daily basis. Unknowingly, the media dictates the way we act and speak as well. Society has become subject to using mental illnesses out of their context because of the way media has represented them. In this drawing (right) it expresses how society has adapted to using mental illnesses as adjectives rather than their proper use of a noun. Media using mental illnesses to characterize a person, shows the ignorance society has to those who are struggling with a mental illness. The severity of mental illnesses is not grasped when society characterizes them. This drawing strengthens the idea of how media has negatively impacted society on the subject of mental illnesses.

In conclusion, it is evident that due to the influence of advertisements, television and social media, society has constructed a glamorous outlook on the severity of mental illnesses.