The following items are part of a series of pieces written by the students of MVHS English teacher, Kim Hardy. Assigned to write letters to the editor last spring, members of her class submitted their completed assignments to The Progress for publication. More will be published in upcoming editions.
By REBECCA CHRISTENSEN
Mental health issues are known all around the world. Some mental issues originate from home, medical issues, and even social media. Social media specifically can have one of the biggest impacts on human kind. With media comes inspirations of joy and motivation, but can also bring a lot of judgment and passive aggression towards people.
Exercising is a great way to keep your body healthy physically and mentally. Exercise is known to bring in the chemicals of dopamine (which brings the mood of happiness) into the mind. Many questions can be brought up regarding why more people do not exercise, or why it is not spoken about more often. Social media is a perspective that can be looked at when trying to answer these questions.
The problem at hand is that there isn’t a lot of understanding when it comes to mental health and the benefits of exercise. Being able to understand the importance of mental health and exercising combined will greatly impact society.
When it comes to social media, so many people are on it and involved within it that I think following the right people and being inspired by certain people can make or break your confidence (which also falls back on mental health.)
All three factors so far can create a loop, and to understand this loop you will first need to understand the three separately.
Social Media influencers set out to gain a following. In order to gain a desired following, many use their life to inspire others; showcasing how they live, how they work, etc. This is where the problem of comparison comes in.
Today’s society is so quick to compare what they do, or do not, have to those on a screen. Thinking of things like, “I will never have a body like them.” “I won’t be able to be stable enough to exercise like them.” etc. When these thoughts come into play, there is a mental aspect to be acknowledged. It is important to realize that not every aspect of an influencer’s life is showcased, and many things can be hidden to the public. Not understanding this can create mental health issues.
The comparisons and views may change regarding a person’s feelings. This is why exercise was added to the loop. So that those who start having doubts have a healthy outlet.
I think one of the most important solutions to have is to understand the loop, and understand that not everything is showcased. Treating your body right includes having a good mentality, and physicality.
