#754 - Freya India - Deconstructing The Female Mental Health Crisis
Mar 7, 2024
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Freya India, a writer and journalist specializing in female mental health, sheds light on the bleak state of Gen Z girls today. She discusses the alarming rise of anxiety, depression, and the glamorization of medication in popular culture. Social media's detrimental impact on self-esteem and the commercialization of mental distress are key topics. Freya also explores the modern dating landscape, highlighting the risk-averse tendencies among young women, and critiques the influence of pop culture role models in shaping their mental health narratives.
Gen Z girls are facing a mental health crisis with rising rates of anxiety and depression, worsened by social media impact.
Companies are profiting from young girls' mental health struggles through targeted advertising and promoting unrealistic beauty standards.
There is a normalization of mental health diagnoses among young girls, glamorizing antidepressants and online therapy, potentially causing psychological harm.
Selfie editing has transitioned from concealed practice to celebrated self-expression, distorting beauty standards and pushing girls towards cosmetic surgeries.
Deep dives
Increasing Rates of Mental Health Challenges for Gen Z Girls
Gen Z girls are experiencing a mental health crisis with rising rates of anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicide, especially since the early 2010s. While social media impact on mental health is debated, the timeline aligns with the rise of platforms like Instagram and editing apps. Young girls spend significant time on social media, encouraging social comparison and enabling targeted advertising that exacerbates insecurities and vulnerabilities.
Monetizing Mental Health Distress of Young Girls
Companies are capitalizing on the vulnerabilities of young girls by targeting and monetizing their mental health struggles. Advertising, therapy culture, and cosmetic industries exploit insecurities, promoting unrealistic beauty standards and solutions. The rise of therapy apps offering unlimited messaging therapy contributes to dependence and lack of resilience, perpetuating a culture of medicalizing normal distress.
Normalization and Glamorization of Mental Health Diagnosis
There is a rise in normalizing and glamorizing mental health diagnosis among young girls, with terms like 'hot girl pills' used to describe antidepressants, along with mental health merchandise glamorizing medications. Online therapy platforms promote instant messaging therapy, inhibiting resilience and fostering a culture of perfect mental health expectations, leading to potential psychological damage.
Impact of Selfie Editing Culture on Body Image and Self-Expression
Selfie editing has evolved from a concealed practice to a celebrated form of self-expression, with filters and editing tools transforming perceptions of beauty and reality. Girls increasingly face selfie dysmorphia, being bombarded with unrealistic beauty standards that distort self-perception. The continuous exposure to edited images and filters contributes to body dysmorphia, pushing more young girls towards cosmetic surgeries to embody filtered ideals.
The Trend of De-Beautification and Reversing Surgeries
The podcast discusses the trend where influencers are dissolving fillers or reversing surgeries due to not recognizing themselves after cosmetic procedures. This trend has been highlighted by celebrities like Molly who undergo de-beautification processes, aiming for a more natural look that resonates with authenticity.
Risk Aversion and Dating Anxiety Among Gen Z Women
Gen Z women exhibit risk aversion in dating scenarios, with advice on platforms like TikTok often portraying negative perspectives on relationships. Citing intense chemistry as a red flag and advising against committed bonds, these mixed messages contribute to relationship anxieties and ambiguous situationships.
The Impact of Family Dynamics and Divorce on Gen Z
Family breakdowns, particularly divorce, have far-reaching effects on Gen Z mental health. Research shows links between divorce and heightened anxiety, depression, and self-harm, especially affecting girls' socio-sexual adjustments. Despite its profound impact, mainstream discussions often sidestep the role of family dynamics in the mental health crisis.
Freya India is a writer and journalist focussed on female mental health and modern culture.
Gen Z girls are not doing ok. No matter how badly you think men have it right now (and they do), girls are doing no better. From therapy culture to advertising your anti-depressant use on Instagram, it's no surprise they're struggling and confused.
Expect to learn just how bad the state of teenage girls mental health is right now, how companies are targeting and monetising this crisis, the glamorisation of taking medication, how selfie editing has been seen as a powerful act of self-expression, what Snapchat Dysmorphia is, why girls are so risk-averse in dating and much more...
