Smile for the Cameras: Social Media & Mental Health
We all like being in on the joke.
I remember when Dixie D’Amelio’s new single, “Be Happy” came out on June 26, 2020, thinking, “Wow, the years of shopping at Justice and The Children’s Place have come back to haunt me.” I wasn’t alone in this. Trolling the song across social media platforms became a new norm for a while, specifically on TikTok where Dixie D’Amelio had gained the majority of her following. While she had millions of followers and supporters, her fans could not seem to outnumber the hate over her song’s release. Finding new ways to make fun of the song and the artist was pretty standard practice, because, as I said, we all like being in on the joke.
But the separation between jokes and the person at the butt of them was lifted on September 23, 2021, with the release of The D’Amelio Show on Hulu. It followed the family who had risen to internet stardom through TikTok, starting with their teenage daughter Charli, then extending to her older sister Dixie, until finally, their entire family had fans. Initially, many were confused about what the show would even be about, considering making three-minute videos on your phone didn’t usually constitute hours worth of reality-TV content.
Confusion quickly grew to conversation once the show aired. The D’Amelio Show wasn’t only about two girls who attended the Kids Choice Awards and had birthday parties with their friends (although, sure, that was in an episode or two). The discourse changed, and criticisms of the influencers turned into sympathy as the show revealed what many were not aware was happening: that those using social media must fight in the constant battle with mental health every day.
This show challenged the glamorous, perfect, dream life painted by many online, showing the incredible amount of damage that social media can cause. There are several episodes with Dixie and Charli both discussing their struggle with anxiety and depression, episodes showing segments of therapy sessions, and even some clips filmed during outright panic/anxiety attacks.
Many of us already struggle with being online. I find it hard to believe someone if they told me that they’ve never compared themself to someone they saw on social media, whether that be physically, mentally, or even envying their lifestyle. Social media fosters the weed that is toxicity to grow and take over our lives. It’s negative space, and even when you only follow your closest family and friends, it's hard to avoid posts that will bring you down, trigger you, or simply anger you. This is especially true since most apps include a type of 'explore page' where you’re meant to get posts curated to your interests but can sometimes seem to show you things you didn’t even know you should be caring about or looking at. It's no secret that algorithms tend to push certain creators into our eyesight, the ones with marble countertops and fluffy matcha pancakes as an after-yoga breakfast.
What about those creators though? At the end of the day, as addicting as the scrolling and liking may be, we have the option of setting our phones down or deleting our accounts once we want to take a mental break. Social media influencers don’t necessarily have that option. For many, brand deals, engagement, and views on content are the source of their income, and deleting their account is the equivalent of quitting your job without having another one lined up. Even those who take a break are often met with detrimental consequences to their platforms, with hate comments coming in thousands while they’re gone and losing support from fans who grow impatient. The constant pressure to put out consistently good content and engage with your followers comes to a point that for many creators, it's no longer fun to say TikTok or Instagram or any other social media app is your career. For many, it's become a job, one that millions are watching and ready to point out your flaws in, leading to devastating mental health effects.
Young creators are especially susceptible to the negative impact of having a stronger social presence. Teenage and tween years are already some of the most awkward to try and figure out who you are, and now, everyone seems to care about how you act and look and dress. Many argue that this is exactly what influencers know they’re signing up for, but it’s hard to remember sometimes that a lot of these new internet sensations weren’t signing up for anything. They’ve simply gone viral and gained a following, something that could have easily happened to anyone else. The D’Amelio Show did a good job of showcasing the struggle that younger social media influencers face from trying their hardest to entertain their supporters, listening to their management teams, and above all, trying to keep themselves afloat.
“I feel so bad for them”, “imagine going through even half of what they’ve been through”, “They deserve better” and comments of the like are all different things that have been said in response to clips posted from some of the most emotional parts of the show. Yet even under those videos, there is still a consistent amount of negative comments, picking apart the slightest of things. While many of us say we support mental health, our actions don’t seem to reflect that, as we directly contribute to the pressures and online abuse of these influencers.
We all like being in on the joke. However, that doesn’t mean everyone is laughing. Although some argue that The D’Amelio Show is scripted and staged, the discourse it has created around the importance of mental health online is real. We shouldn’t expect more from influencers than we would expect of ourselves and our loved ones, especially the younger ones. Starting the conversation is only half the battle. Stopping the constant hate online and overall poisonous culture of social media? That’s the hard part that includes everyone.