written by @coombstw
Before I go any further on this topic I would like to explain something. I am 100% for looking after your Mental Health and talking about such matters. Stress and the topic I am going to bring up do exist and is a serious problem. But why are so many using it as a platform to get noticed on the socials.
Before I go any further on this topic I would like to explain something. I am 100% for looking after your Mental Health and talking about such matters. Stress and the topic I am going to bring up do exist and is a serious problem. But why are so many using it as a platform to get noticed on the socials.
It is an epidemic it seems, all across social media, so many so called influencer's and wannabes suffer from anxiety or tell you at great length that they do. I have noticed this trend after years on the platform and it has only grown. They make their videos saying they have suffering from anxiety but “okay today” as they live their fake Insta-lives that they force into your feeds. This is a problem for me, stress and anxiety are serious topics and it seems they are being discussed in a look at me way, making more users strive to be like these good looking fake people online, but not achieving this and adding to real peoples problems of the issue at hand. Many issues in this area can be caused by Social Media, but will these people who count likes and pushing for recognition stop using Instagram to get rid of the problem? Of course not. But they really should, as should we all.
With this now hipster trend to suffer from anxiety I believe it has taken away from the real problem of mental health. The people who are suffering will not discuss it with you, they will actually be the total opposite to these influencers. I should know, I have been there, two years ago my stress and anxiety was at a max level and nearly destroyed my life, I wasn’t suicidal but I was not myself in many ways. Thankfully I got through the other side and everything causing the problem was pushed away and out of my life. I did this with a lot of help and direct closure from me. But did I talk about the issue at the time on social media, no, I didn’t realise I had it, I was on a self destruct path, if I had spoken about it, then I would be fixing it, or trying. But I wasn’t being trendy I was a mess, two very different things.
With this is mind, I still see the post comments, posts and videos of people who just want attention with “I suffer badly from Anxiety” then get love back from their social network "friends", the comment will be under a picture of them topless or something, they want recognition from their 100k followers nothing more. Now yes, they have issues, it is the issue that social media creates for many and causes the endorphin levels to rise and fall so much. I still get it sometimes but less so as time goes on. I have in comparison circa 420 followers, 221 of these are fans, the others I follow back also, I like the community aspect of it all. But do I strive for more? I am not fussed to be honest and just enjoy the platform what it is, pictures and me making videos to amuse and entertain myself. But none of this is real life or serious. It is a fun silly thing to post pictures so strangers can like them or not.
Some accounts push mental health, I have spoken about mental health before like many have, but these people who are basically preying on the weak Social Media user, with their trendy issues and I have had enough of it and believe something should be done. So next time you see someone going on about their mental health and saying they are fine now, or they suffer, then take it with a pinch of salt. Trust me you don’t want stress and anxiety in your life and if Instagram of other platforms are creating it, then get rid of them, always get rid of the thing causing the problem.