My why

Mental Health is something that affects everyone at some point in their life. Whether it's your own mental health or someone else's, it's important to understand the signs and symptoms of someone that might need help. Things like change in appetite, insomnia, withdrawal, and relying on alcohol or sedatives are the most common signs i've seen most as a college student amongst my peers. It's so important to check on the people closest to you because you never truly know what someone is struggling with internally. 

This brings me to social media, which is a huge part of our daily lives. Mental health is talked about more because of social media yes, but is Social Media really helping? I always hear my peers talk about deleting their social media apps because they need the mental break. I was in class this past week and a student mentioned how when they use social media they "always" see a decline in their mental health. Which I've heard not only from that student, but from many of my closest friends. 

Finally, the pandemic added an another element to this, and not a positive one. Being cooped up in my room all day while only getting to see my best friend outside of family (which wasn't a totally horrible thing), had a huge impact on me. The high school class of 2020 missed out on the best parts of high school like Prom and Graduation. Which had an even bigger effect when we got to college because for me being a student athlete we did not get to live in the dorms. We also had the option to have an all virtual schedule to limit risk of contact with Corona Virus. So I missed the opportunity to make those connections with other students on campus as I'm sure other's did as well. Making this already new experience away from home a lot more lonely. 

In my next blog I'm going to talk about the dark side of mental health. I was on Instagram this morning and there was a post that said there has been over 52 thousands suicides in 2024. We aren't even through the first month of the year. Mental health is a silent killer. You never know who's struggling around you until you see the signs and talk to people. 

Comments

  1. Hallie FedorowiczJanuary 21, 2024 at 8:34 PM

    I really enjoyed reading your post! As someone who has been trying to prioritize mental health, I have thought about deleting social media. It is a distraction from my homework and always adds ti my anxiety. I am excited to read more of your articles and what you have to say about social media and mental health.

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