Social Media Sensationalism on Mental Health

Social media can be a powerful tool for raising awareness about mental health, but it can also spread harmful messages. A growing concern is the way mental illness is sensationalized—turned into entertainment, aesthetic content, or casual jokes that downplay its seriousness.

What Sensationalism Looks Like

Sensationalism happens when mental health is misrepresented in ways that are dramatic, misleading, or dismissive. Common examples include:

• Using phrases like “cute but psycho” or turning disorders into quirky traits

• Romanticizing or glorifying depression, anxiety, and self-harm

• Spreading the idea that mental illness is "just who you are" instead of something you can manage and heal from

• Creating content that uses mental illness as clickbait or shock value

This kind of messaging often goes viral—but it’s deeply damaging to those who are struggling.

Why It’s Harmful

Sensationalized content can make people believe therapy isn’t worth trying or that asking for help is pointless. It can make someone feel like their pain needs to be extreme or visible to be valid. And when mental health struggles are turned into jokes or aesthetic posts, it discourages real conversation and understanding.

Even worse, studies have shown that when media sensationalizes suicide cases, suicide rates can actually increase. The impact is not just online—it’s real, and it’s serious.

What We Can Do

• Be critical of what you see and share online

• Avoid spreading posts that trivialize mental illness

• Support content that speaks honestly and respectfully about mental health

• Share real resources and encourage others to seek help when needed

Mental illness is not a trend. It’s a human experience that deserves care, support, and truth. Let’s talk about it in ways that actually help.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 911 or the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. Help is always available.