It appears in the resurgence of 2014 tumblr aesthetic, we have seen a dark turn of how social media portrays mental health, masked by aesthetic filters and comedic captions. It can be confusing – perhaps you followed certain creators and accounts to initially find someone to relate to about your struggles. Yet slowly but surely, your entire feed is filled with content surrounding mental illness, unable to escape it. âBed rottingâ is a good example of this, popular on tiktok to show yourself unable to get out of bed all day, maybe eating junk food or even nothing at all, and panning over to show your dirty room and tell us all how much of a mess you are. Yet, if you have ever experienced a depressive episode, it is really not something you can make aesthetic.
It’s not just social media that does this, with film and literature also expanding on this. Everyone loves to romanticise âThe Bell Jarâ and âMy Year of Rest and Relaxationâ until they are confronted with the reality of these issues, and realise they arenât full of long white flowy dresses and living in New York. Instead, itâs trying to get through one day at a time and feeling like either your brain is running a million miles a minute or completely empty. Mental illnesses, like depression and anxiety, are suffocating, and as much as you can try and glamorise them, living with them daily is not a pretty sight. Now these are some of my favourite books, in part because they managed to explain and embody feelings Iâve had for years but Iâve never had the sense to understand. But there are dangers to this, particularly with a younger audience. When they are exposed to this content, which can usually frame mental illness as beautiful and different, it can lead to them desiring these issues as a way to stand out. This content perpetuates an inaccurate portrayal of what life is with mental health issues. Itâs a full-time job and not something you can switch on or off depending on whatâs popular at the moment.Â
I think this has also been revitalised again by reversing back to older trends (thank you again Tumblr) with the current idealised body type all over the internet being skinny. Of course, being slimmer has in the past few decades been deemed the âideal body typeâ however it appears the dangerously skinny 90s supermodel look is back. This was seen in the relaunch of the Victoria Secret catwalk earlier this year, which features mainly petite women. Arguably those deemed âplus-sizedâ models were actually simply women with realistic and normal body types. This body type, and the dangerous length you need to take to get there are romanticised, with quotes like Kate Mossâ âNothing tastes as good as skinny feelsâ plastered all over the internet in front of a coquettish pink background, and captions saying this is the perfect motivation.
Again, social media furthers this with âWhat I eat in a dayâ vlogs popular videos. Now, I know personally, these have distorted my view of what is a healthy amount to eat in a day, with different creators backing their diet as normal. Having so many different opinions in one place is honestly dangerous, meaning we are met with endless choices with different voices chirping in our ears of what is right and wrong, usually completely contradicting one another. Going from watching one girl eat less than 500 calories in one day and calling it okay to another tiktoker bulking up and eating 10,000, and others floating in between healthy and unhealthy habits, will also begin to warp your perception of what is the right answer.
The saddest part of this for me is that I used to find comfort in social media accounts focusing on mental illness, finding it a safe haven of understanding and a judgement free zone. Yet now, when my content is flooded with these ideas and perhaps dangerous mindset, it becomes overwhelming. Social media is usually an escape for most, a way to scroll mindlessly for a few hours as a distraction. Yet, if we start watching certain videos, that may seem harmless and even helpful, these can begin to grow into more toxic patterns. For me, it can become competitive, comparing myself with people who have fallen back into bad habits or are struggling and seeing it as an insult to my own journey. And for those who aestheticize certain issues, it makes me think why canât my issues be as pretty or as neat as theirs. And again, Iâm here to tell you that none of that is real. As much as we want everything to be aesthetic, your mental health is not something that should be framed in that way.Â
This romanticisation also makes me angry. It is obvious when certain influencers are emphasising or feeding into this aestheticization of mental illness. It twists the reality of these issues, and the deception is dangerous. Not only is it harmful content for young people to consume, but it also means mental illnesses are not taken seriously. I definitely think in the past decade there has been a surge in openly talking about mental health, which is vitally important for how we view our feelings and others. However, there is a stark difference between mental health and mental illness. Iâve found, that even with all this openness, my mental illnesses are still uncomfortable topics of conversation, and things people tend to shy away from.
Even with people pointing out these issues, this romanticisation will continue. So, it is important to recognise it, and not beat yourself up that your mental illnesses donât look like what other peoples do. I would love to escape to the countryside and pretend to be a long-lost Lisbon sister, or really be in any reality directed by Sofia Coppola, where my depression can come off as sexy and mysterious. But unfortunately, thatâs not the case. And thatâs not how mental illnesses should be portrayed. Sadly, there really isnât anything beautiful about them, and I personally donât think we should try and find the beauty within them. Instead, itâs about romanticising and finding the joy in the little things. For me, enjoying and savouring smaller moments in my daily routineis what brings me the most joy. Small achievements like brushing your teeth or managing to go for a walk and appreciating the beauty of nature will do you a lot more good than attempting to make your anxiety chic, I promise.Â