Anthony Rey

A student takes an anxiety quiz on Buzzfeed, questioning their own mental health.

Whenever you are online, how much of your feed is positive? Depending on what you like, comment, or share the algorithm will give you more of that type of video; this can be detrimental for young adults with ever so changing moods.

The topic of mental health has grown significantly. There has been a 13 percent rise in mental health conditions and substance use disorders in the last decade. One out of four adults suffer from mental illnesses. This brings the question, just how many people are using these terms correctly or actually hurt from mental illness?

“I definitely think it’s become a trend, you see it all over social media and here [school] too,” junior Kaliegh Gant said.

There has been a rise in social media accounts that revolve around mental health, in a typical video they might show you a day in their life with the illness they have.

Some of these accounts explain their symptoms and how the audience could have the same condition while others could be faking to get a following. Thus bringing the viewers to self diagnosing without much information behind the ailment or spreading misleading information to their peers; bringing the spread of incorrect conditions.

Some students say that they will hear the statement, “I just failed my test, I’m so depressed” or “I am so OCD, I need everything perfect.” While most know that they do not actually suffer these disorders, they still say it because it has become so normalized. Some believe that statements such as these are disrespectful to those who suffer with the conditions undermining their struggles.

“Mental health can be affected by diet, environment, sleep, by almost anything you do physically, and anyone you talk to, so really anything,” sophomore Walker Blackburn said.

There is just so much that can really affect how someone is mentally; so make sure you pay attention to yourself and your own habits.

Overall, the talk of mental health is positive, bringing awareness to the different illnesses.

“Within the past decade, the talk of mental health has shifted from negative to positive and has become more acceptable,” junior Mackenzie Reddick said.

Mental illnesses are crippling and affect everyone involved, this is such an important topic that more people should become informed on.