Today, social media has become one of the most important aspects of our society. Most people use common social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr. These sites started out as a place to connect with friends and share photos. In recent years, though, it has become something almost completely different, thanks to young millennials. Many social media sites today have glorified certain mental illnesses and disorders. Terms like “self victimization” and “beautiful suffering” have become too common among young social media users. In an article written by Anne-Sophie Bine, “Social Media is Redifining ‘Depression,’” she explains how social media today nearly “glorifies” depression and distorts the true meaning of it. She explains, “This online cultivation of beautiful sadness is easy to join: anyone …show more content…
She opens up the article by explaining exactly what the problem is. The beginning can be used to inform young teens of the romanticized view of depression on social media. She uses the example of Laura U, an international student in Paris who experienced this “depression” via Tumblr. She explains, “Laura was part of one such community, scrolling through hundreds of photographs on Tumblr that evoke negative emotions through art and call it depression” (Bine). This example can be used to warn a young audience of the “psychological torment” that is present on social media everywhere. Bine also uses evidence from an actual doctor and adolescent psychiatry expert, Stan Kutcher, to warn people of the dangers of misinforming and misdiagnosing mental illnesses. Kutcher explains that “the problem is misinformation. Adolescents are getting a lot of information from the media, on websites such as Tumblr, or from their friends, not from reputable sources” (Bine). Through the use of many different examples and reputable sources, Bine warns many different audiences about this