Conversations about mental health are at an all-time high, and everyone has something to say. The internet has revolutionized the way we openly talk about mental health, but this revolution is not without consequences.
Gen Z’s mental health issues are skyrocketed In recent years, it is not due to new stressors.
Our generation has been surrounded by stressors since the beginning. We’ve experienced a housing crisis, rising inflation, intense political polarization, a shrinking job market, and a global pandemic. I was, and still am, a little stressed.
But this isn’t necessarily new. Our parents and grandparents may have had it easier, but bad things tend to come in waves. In the early 1900s, people were dealing with their own pandemics, historic depressions, and world wars.
So why does the situation seem to be particularly bad now? The conversation surrounding mental health is louder and more accessible than ever before, so why is it that our generation is suffering at higher rates? Is there one?
In medicine, most successful treatments come with one or two negative side effects. While it is certainly helpful for us to talk openly about mental health today, it has completely distorted many people’s ability to cope.
Our generation has turned to the internet for support and comfort, and it has become a home for conversations about mental health. Digital conversations have the powerful ability to humanize mental health issues to a broader audience and enable people to access unprecedented levels of professional care.
But while many people are turning to the internet for mental health support, the internet also sauce About mental health issues. Thanks to the internet, people have begun to confuse healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms.
First and foremost, we were never meant to be exposed to as much information as the Internet makes public. From unrealistic highlight footage of our peers’ lives to graphic and disturbing footage that resides in every corner of the internet, the content we consume has an endless impact on our mental health. .
Additionally, the distractions that abound on the internet can serve as a means to avoid stress without forcing introspection. People no longer need to learn how to deal with stressors. Rather than developing stronger, more permanent coping skills, simply checking on your loved one’s whereabouts can quickly alleviate irrational anxiety.
While these distraction tactics can be very effective in the short term, they ultimately prolong the problem. If your ability to cope is completely dependent on your ability to distract yourself online, what do you do when your Wi-Fi goes out?
This conversation about mental health also promotes isolation. The internet has normalized oversharing and trauma dumping while also telling people to always focus on protecting their personal well-being and peace. On the one hand, people become unable to cross boundaries, and on the other hand, people completely deny community in search of spiritual comfort.
But what really fights is strong social ties stress. How can that be achieved online or in an isolated environment? The topic of mental health seems to have pushed people into these two counterproductive options.
The pervasiveness of the Internet in daily life has made it increasingly difficult for people to rely on past coping mechanisms developed through close friendships and community connections. These have been replaced by cheaper and easier ways to relieve anxiety without having to deal with it.
Conversations about mental health have become incredibly open. The stigma around things like drugs has decreased significantly and people seem to be more at ease with their own struggles. Still, much of this progress relies on the Internet, which comes with some negative side effects.
People need to be willing to look at their own coping mechanisms and behaviors to understand how to truly improve their mental health.
