From characters in popular films, to speaking out on social media. Pop-culture has had a significant role in destigmatizing and spreading awareness about mental health and illnesses. Speaking out and educating those unaware of it, the taboo placed on mental health and its impact is being lifted by voices of the 21st century, and even further back! However, pop culture’s habit of glamorizing serious mental illness issues, raises questions about the responsibility of film and other mediums in how they portray mental health.
Taking film as an example as a medium of influence, various characters have gone from portraying and humanizing different illnesses, to presenting the impact of one’s mental health in their lifestyle. Characters such as depression-ridden “BoJack Horseman” — who has gone on to become an icon and idol for teenagers and young adults today – and Luna Lovegood in the “Harry Potter” franchise, suffering from Asperger’s syndrome, have each had a profound impact on those struggling with similar problems, and even those simply trying to learn more about them.
The 1989 cult classic “Heathers” explored a wide range of different personality disorders and severe problems such as bullying, teen suicide, and the obsessive need to be popular. Though wrong in portraying such issues lightheartedly, and even romanticising them, the film has played a significant role in the portrayal of mental health and issues in teenagers in film. For those struggling to speak up about their mental health, pop-culture has taken the duty of making these illnesses as normal and human as possible.
“The Virgin Suicides” (1999), a popular novel turned film, has hauntingly portrayed issues such as suicide and depression throughout the film, while upsetting events unfold for the troubled Lisbon sisters. However, the focus on such dark and upsetting themes have been severely overlooked by the most of the younger audience, who are more distracted with the warm, feminine aesthetic and the less-disturbing aspects of the characters’ personalities. Quotes from the film such as “Obviously, Doctor, you’ve never been a thirteen-year-old girl.” and others have gone on to resonate with similar such trouble teenagers, who find comfort and a sense of stability in seeing their issues presented and dealt with on the big screens.
However, there are a few negative repercussions pop-culture has on the treatment of mental illnesses that can’t be overlooked. A few even argue that pop-culture’s role in making out mental illnesses to be ‘accessories’ to glamorise and make one’s personality more interesting has turned out to have more negative outcomes than positive. In today’s social-media controlled world, teenagers and young adults exposed to all sorts of mediums and events, may even go as far to ‘faking’ a mental illness – just to be like their favourite character, or stand out.
