It's been a minute, huh? Sorry about that! But, how about we skip this part where i apologize & justify and just dive right into this years first post?! Awesome!
Well, if you don't somehow know, I've had my own troubles with anxiety last year. Thankfully, that's behind me now (well not completely, but we're getting there! 👀✌), but that doesn't mean I'm done with talking about it!
Soooo!!! As I've been dealing it with it myself, i know how horrible it can get. And I'm sure i wasn't even on the worst stadium of it. But, as we progress more and more in to the second part of 2019, i've noticed that somehow EVERYONE seems to have anxiety today (especially the YouTube community). Whenever someone feels bad today for a literally one minute, they're like "Oh, i'm so anxious." ; or it's something in the terms of "Oh, don't do that. You're giving me anxiety." Basically the same thing that the people are doing with OCD. You're not somehow OCD just because you really like a picture of all the cars on the parking lot color sorted or whatever. No, that's just something that can be very aesthetically pleasing to anyone's eye. Talking about color ordination in general. Because those are the most common "Oh, i'm so OCD" posts/memes i've been seeing.
What I'm trying to say is that over the years of Internet, from time to time there are some internet slang words we tend to use non stop to "be cool"; "relatable"; or even to fish some comment likes on YT. This trend has seriously grown in 2018. Starting with the word "Tea". Spilling Tea. Tea is not just tea anymore. It's another word for drama. So, now people just tend to use it as much as possible everywhere, to be cool, funny and what not. I mean that's cool, that's ok. That's not very harmful. But, the point is that the word Anxiety is turning into that as well. People are unconsciously using it for any occasion without thinking about what it actually is. And that's just not cool man.
OH, another word - TRIGGERED. The word is still used to represent what it stands for, BUT people have just started constantly using it for everything & everywhere that it kinda of lost it's OG meaning. Don't understand? For example - person A posted online something that person B dislikes. Person B now immediately bashes "omg stop triggering me." Now imagine 100000 of people seeing a let's say YT video they don't like and they just say "This is so triggering." meaning they really just dislike it. Or it makes them angry at some point.
So, now let's imagine there's a person with an Eating Disorder. And they see one of those popular "7-days-fasting-only-water" videos - and they ARE actually to the truest core of the word trigger triggered, but if they say that, people won't take it THAT serious. Because, the word has been spread in memes, and just funny relatable videos. But, not in serious situations as before, you know. So, i guess the words are just getting weaken? They're losing on their seriousness? lol You got the point!
Now, why I mentioned YouTubers specifically before? Because I believe that they have the biggest influence over people at the moment. And recently there hasn't been one bigger YouTuber that hasn't taken a break due to their anxiety issues. I mean, i'm sure that some of them REALLY did have, because it's a very stressful job no matter what people think, but there are many who just say so to play on the sympathy card, to get more views etc. Which is just NOT okay. It's ESPECIALLY NOT OKAY to sell merchandise T-shirts that say "My Anxiety have anxiety" ; "Oh, i'm so anxious" etc etc. If you wish to find out more about the YouTuber i'm talking about specifically here's a little rant video another YouTuber did on her (since apparently she THANKFULLY taken down the merch, so i can't link that). It pretty much sums up everything i wanted to say. Everyone just wants to be cool, and relatable these days, AND EARN SOME CASH along the way of course, that they'll do anything.
Also - here's another YT video covering about this blog posts topic as well! It's really good.
*NOTE: Don't get me wrong. If you really feel bad, sad, depressed, anxious (especially for a longer period of time) yes definitely go and seek help. It's nothing to be ashamed of. And make sure to talk. It helps SO much! Talk to your family, your friends, whatever, but talk it through! You can solve anything! Just don't shut yourself. Don't close your self in the room and listen to sad music & watch depressing movies. Cause that will just add up to it. You have to fight it. Go out, have fun - alone, with your friends, your pets whatever. Breath. Smile. Listen to cheerful music. Just don't get sucked in your own (bad) thoughts.
I've been thinking a lot about writing this post, because I thought there's no point on writing it, since the previously linked videos pretty much covered it, but I guess that's not the point. The point is to spread the awareness, spread the word, raise a voice.
So, yeah. There it is. And please remember - to be more careful with how you use certain words in the future.