More people nowadays are often resorting to social media as a way to communicate and cope about personal experiences of mental health such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr (Segreto 2018). Social media can help shape our understandings of the world around us, and at times, it can distort reality. Media platforms can positively impact our understandings of mental health and those who suffer from it, that include feeling a sense of community and sharing similar interests as others on a sensitive topic (Segreto 2018). In the article, “#timetotalk: Is social media helping people talk about mental health?”, many popular Youtubers, such as Rebecca Brown and Laura Lejeune, comment on their experiences of mental health on a new social media platform intended to feature videos and discussion boards relating to personal experiences of mental disorders. On …show more content…
The stigma that is attached with mental health can cause patients to feel hopeless, refuse to seek help, and experience low-levels of quality life (Livingston, Tugwell, Korf-Uzan, Cianfront & Coniglio 2012). Social media makes it more accessible to acquire knowledge towards issues that arise globally, but it can also create backlash and target specific individuals in a negative light. As stated prior, 70% of a sample expressed that portrays of individuals with mental illnesses often are offensive (Aguiniga et al. 2016). In addition, social media and films characterize people with mental health issues as “the other”, that furthers stigmatizes mental health and sets a tone of fear. It does not help that often times, individuals resort to the online world to seek help and guidance from others when struggling with their own health problems, yet it becomes arduous when they are being ridiculed towards something that is beyond their