Are Depression and anxiety disorders ROMANTICIZED on SOCIAL MEDIA?
Social media sites are making depression and anxiety seem like its something you should show off to the world as cute. Depression consumes you from the inside out. Anxiety makes you think something is always wrong. Whether it's with you or something around you. You can log on to a site and see people romanticizing depression and anxiety. You will see poems, drawings, and photography labeling these disorders as cute and amazing. I don't think that depression is cute, I don't think that anxiety is cute, I struggle with both. I know what it is like to feel so lost in the world, I know what it feels like to be consumed in darkness. Depression is a serious illness, and should not be taken so lightly. Same goes with anxiety. I walk through the halls at school and I feel uncomfortable because I think something is wrong with me. I walk through the walls at home and think there is something wrong with me. I mean I get that some people may think that it's okay to romanticize these illnesses. You might not know much about these illnesses, so I advise you to learn more about them before you call them cute. It has more to do with who has depression and anxiety also. Like let's say a girl or guy you find attractive has one of these disorders, you would think it's cute for them to feel sad or for them to overreact. It's all based on looks. That's the sad truth. These social sites are romanticizing serious illnesses that can cause harm for you. My opinion on this topic affects me greatly because I suffer from both depression and anxiety and I know that it's not cute. I live with these disorders every day. My depression isn't severe but my anxiety is. And I don't want people to think you shouldn't get help for these disorders because some boy or girl might think it's cute. -Illiana, 16
I feel that both disorders are being romanticized on social media. Do I think it's right? No, not at all. I currently am going through depression and its hitting me twice as hard as it did for my sisters. Considering everything I have been through in the last few years. During those few years I have never had a single person tell me it is cute when I'm depressed. It is definitely not something people consider a compliment. At least I don't. Not only is depression and anxiety romanticized on social medias it is just as much considered a joke. There are people who think being depressed is people fishing for attention. Same goes for anxiety. I have never had a severe anxiety attack, I might of experienced some symptoms of anxiety, however, I may not of realized that I had one. I do wonder if people were just trying to change the road of how depression and anxiety are being expressed. From thinking its a joke to its totally cute. Its a start. but I wouldn't bring it down the road of cute, that is a bit uncomfortable. I personally think down the road if people are still calling depression and anxiety cute, that more people will claim that they have depression/anxiety and that isn't right. The people that actually do have it aren't really being helped by peers around them, their actually being encouraged to continue getting worse with depression/anxiety all because they may like the feeling of being called cute. So to the people that think its cute, do you really think that? Its a horrible disorder that's bad for your health may cause you to die sooner. Let's Think. - Haley 16
I really do believe depression and anxiety are two disorders no one really likes to mention around others. We live in a society where everyone likes to express their thoughts on the internet, therefore, causing some teenagers to feel horrible about themselves because they think they just want the attention. We all react to our problems differently, but others don't really think about what they say can really cause someone to think bad about themselves. Depression and anxiety are very severe disorders that can cause someone who can basically go insane from and I think people should take this more seriously. Some of my family tree suffers from severe depression, but I also suffer from social anxiety. I know the feeling the horrible feeling when getting judged by these disorders and I don't want anyone else to feel what I felt. So avoid any social media because people nowadays have no shame when it comes to judging someone on the internet. Social media is romanticizing depression and anxiety pretending it's something you're supposed to feel and affect your lives worse than what it should really be. -Vanessa, 16