Mental Health isn’t a TikTok Trend 

In order to be a licensed therapist, a master’s degree in psychology, counseling or social work is needed, as well as 1-2 years of supervised experience post-grad. But, users on social media, mainly TikTok, have somehow bypassed these years of certification, doling out psychological terms as liberally as they like. 

It isn’t necessarily a new occurrence. Around 2016, a trend arose surrounding the word “triggered,” a term typically defined as something specific which causes one to recall a traumatic experience, often leading to an extreme emotional response. Users online took this definition and diluted its meaning, applying it whenever someone expressed any seemingly unreasonable amount of anger. 

The malapropism of psychological terms is far more widespread today, with “therapy-speak” used all over social media platforms, mainly TikTok. 

Viral lifestyle videos depict an aestheticized “bed-rotting” day. However, this is a term typically used for those suffering from depression, unable to leave their bed for hours or days at a time due to lack of motivation or executive dysfunction. It’s the inability to do tasks, no matter how badly one wants to, and not just a way to relax. 

Humorous videos describe a situation in which the subject is “dissociating.” In reality, they’ve substituted the word for the act of merely spacing out. But dissociation actually involves a severe psychological disconnect between a person and their sense of self, their surroundings and/or their emotions.  

Influencers proclaim to be setting self-care boundaries by cutting people out of their lives who are “toxic,” “narcissistic” and “gaslighting.” 

But just because a relationship has difficulties doesn’t mean someone is actively toxic and causing significant psychological damage. Someone who’s self-centered and self-prioritizing isn’t necessarily a delusional, emotionless narcissist. Someone with a tendency for lying isn’t the same thing as a gaslighter who’s actively manipulating someone else’s perception of memory and truth. 

In addition to these, many neurodivergent terms have become watered down and simplified due to overuse on social media, reduced to a mere buzzword online. 

Being “overstimulated” has transformed into one of these buzzwords, constantly used in the place of being overwhelmed or stressed out, when it’s a specific experience involving sensory overload and is common to occur to neurodivergent individuals. 

Another instance of this includes vocal stims. 

For neurodivergent people, vocal stimming is a process where one repeats vocal noises to self-regulate when experiencing sensory overload or expressing emotions. Social media users often misuse the term when speaking about popular memes or TikTok sounds they repeat often. 

Yet another case of this happening is with the term hyperfixation. Users online use it to describe anything they’re interested in, but hyperfixating on something is an experience linked with neurodivergence; it involves long periods of intense focus on a subject — not just taking interest in a TV show or celebrity. 

While a majority of these terms are being used incorrectly, the effect isn’t entirely negative. 

By using terms previously seen as off-limits in everyday conversation, it destigmatizes them and, by extension, destigmatizes the experiences of neurodivergent individuals and those with mental health concerns. 

In addition, by spreading awareness about these terms, individuals are given language to express their experiences they previously didn’t have. When people have a name for something they’re going through, it allows them to not only find a way to manage and/or heal from it but also to find community in others going through the same things. 

However, the public is misinformed on these terms and seems to be unknowingly oversimplifying complex, sensitive topics.

When terms like “gaslighting” and “narcissist” are used in everyday relational arguments, it turns a productive conversation into the shifting of blame, throwing around terms the users often don’t fully understand the scope of. They become a way to shut down conversations and win arguments rather than understand the way others think. 

It also undermines the real experiences of neurodiverse people when these terms are used by the general public. People are made to believe any mental health issues they have can be healed from a 60-second video and slapping a label onto their feelings like a Band-Aid. 

Mental health and neurodivergence cannot be treated as a trend or a fashion accessory to make one appear more emotionally complex. They’re intricate, personal aspects of countless people, and yet often go unseen. When they’re reduced to buzzwords or fads online, they are infinitely more damaging than constructive.