Table 1 Themes and their corresponding tweets
From: “Anxiety is not cute” analysis of twitter users’ discourses on romanticizing mental illness
Themes | Example topic | Tweets |
|---|---|---|
1. Rejecting / Critiquing the glamorization of Mental Health | Cute Suicide Disorder | 1. Anxiety is not cute at all for yall to make stupid tiktoks like that 2. I need some sort of petition to stop people from romanticizing mental health issues online cause this shit is actually living hell. It is not cute, fun, quirky, or unique. It makes living a regular life incredibly difficult and, in real life, will push people away from you. 3.Baby this depression is not cute or fun BRING ON THE MANIA SO I CAN FEEL ALIVE 4. When ur fat having depression is not cute 5. Depression is not cute at all, is it? It is a constant struggle to keep myself alive, folks. 6. One day I’ll get the help I need instead of romanticizing suicide on Twitter, not today, but one day 7. now why is #that group romanticizing suicide and murder an abusive father y’all need to stop romanticizing suicide and mental health issues on this app before i rek u 8. We need to stop romanticizing mental health disorders like adhd and autism and start monetizing them. 9. since when is being autistic somehow a trendy thing bc last I checked… it isn’t lol. i get called all sorts of god-awful things for being actually autistic and i think that romanticizing mental. 10.Need to get out of this bed and get cute cause this depression is not cute 11. Depression is not cute, and it is not a personality trait stop romanticizing it. |
2. Monetization of Mental health by corporate organization | merch | 1. They’s using repetitive plots, eh haha! Sensationalizing suicide and making a fucking merch and accessories out of it. 2. This is why businesses should know the background of what they’re selling, especially when it involves merchandise. You’re selling something you don’t know that you ended up unintentionally romanticizing suicide. It is honestly triggering. 3. Finally! I have always been bothered by merch with the phrase “to be one with the stars " like fls huhu stop just stop romanticizing suicide |
3. Societal Misconception of Mental Health | People Issue | 1. The amount of people romanticizing suicide in the comments is sickening. The firefighter saved someone’s life after they made an irrational decision. This is a real person with real family and friends, and a future ahead of them. Their life matters. 2. When and how cultural contagion happens is an interesting topic. The only analogy I have is about suicide. Talking about suicide does not increase rates of suicide (people think it does). But ROMANTICIZING suicide has caused contagion of the behavior. 3. More common than I think? I have read up on OCD last year A lot of you assume perfectionists have OCD which is very very wrong I have a friend with diagnosed OCD and I sure asl know how bad it is This era of youths and romanticizing mental health issues God abeg oh 4. Don’t romanticize your mental issues and romanticize working on yourself. |
4. Role of Traditional Media and Social Media | Tiktok | 1.tiktok is like if you breathe through your nose you have adhd, autism and bipolar. CAN we stop romanticizing mental health disorders? You have bpd because the clock app told you so? 2. It’s crazy how many TikTok’s I’ve seen of people romanticizing mental health issues…like girl it ain’t cute/trendy to have them… 3. “Between therapy becoming a trend and TikTok romanticizing mental health yall have all the language but none of the tools” 4. Yes they are. Social media has been romanticizing mental health issues of all sorts since I was in middle school. I’m in my 30s… 5.I’ve seen a few Yandere creators criticize people for romanticizing suicide in fiction, when they’re okay with people romanticizing MURDERS and abusive relationships in fiction? Like dude your making Yandere focused content, you really can’t be talking. 6. Romanticizing suicide I live in an area where the second most frequent cause of death for young people is suicide. This fact certainly got me thinking about the number of literary works I have taught which romanticize suicide. |
5. Unfiltered realities of depression | Depression, Bad | 1. My depression was bad I wouldn’t shower, brush my teeth or hair, clean my room nothing. I would legit work, come home, and sit on my computer all night and think about just driving till my car was empty and then killing myself Depression is not cute stop it. 2. I need to seek out fun again and not give a fuck if ppl get weird, butt hurt or jealous bc I want to have a good time. How long do I need to be a miserable adult for? Depression is not cute but I have to learn to push back before it consumes me. 3. I spend thousands on therapy and meds just to manage my depression and anxiety….Twitter they celebrate bad behavior by romanticizing mental health issues? 4. ppl love romanticizing mental health issues until someone shows the ‘bad’ symptoms |
6. We are not romanticizing | 1. I don’t think that I’m the only one! BUT again, it really doesn’t help things to call ppl “crazy” or “batshit” or say that they’re romanticizing suicide when they’re literally talking about a current event. ALSO, the suicide taboo is empirically bad at reducing suicides!! 2. I often vent about my depression and my suicidal thoughts and a few weeks ago, some chick literally said I was romanticizing suicide and was just whining for attention… Seriously, gfy! |