Underrated, overlooked and most ignored are some words that comes to mind whenever I hear about the mental health. Anybody who has a good understanding of society, history and human psychology would agree with me when I say that mental health has been the most ignored problem throughout the history of human kind. It hasn’t received enough attention that it deserves. Firstly, it has taken centuries to get recognized socially, even then this remains a social stigma. A stigma which is recognized by a few yet, faced by many. The 21st century has been a blessing in disguise for this very important topic to get its due attention. People were always afraid to open up about any mental health related issues. If you look around you would see it stays in the shackles even in the modern age. The hospitals would have the least research on this and not to mention that never really get the desired funding to have enough skin in the game. It lacks awareness in every society and culture and its need of the hour to push it where it has always deserved to be. The modern life has seen the rise of new age communication and it is a game changer in how people perceive things and how a society is developing as a whole. We have seen some growth because of social media and new age Shows which has been very vocal about mental health and they are doing absolutely wonders. I will explain how.
With the increasing digitalization of entertainment, even online gaming platforms have started incorporating discussions around mental well-being, encouraging responsible gaming practices alongside providing odds tips to help players make informed decisions.
The Realistic Portrayals of Mental struggles
The impact of cinema in depicting the real-life struggles of individuals with mental health concerns is humongous. The depiction has been so real, accurate and psychologically so powerful that it has startled an open debate about mental health and a clear recognition society of new age. The shows like 13 Reasons why have created a massive impact worldwide on how people think about anxiety depression and suicide. The characterization is so real and powerful that it leaves an impact on every person and yet create an awareness about everything that needs the attention.
Representation of Diverse Experiences
The modern TV Shows have touched very diverse characters and stories that represent different narratives of mental health that a common man wouldn’t Think of. The shows like The Good Doctor revolved around a young doctor with autism and the shows addresses the autism and the pressure of being a doctor with such an issue. Then there is a show This is us which dives into the emotional struggles of family members dealing with trauma and how the lives of them are affected by it. Many of us can relate to these stories and then it starts a conversation about these diverse characters.
The Therapy and the Narrative around it
The mental health and its treatment have been a way of life in many of these shows. The shows have helped it to normalize and promote the therapy culture. The shows like Mental focuses on psychiatrist treating people and dealing with his own mental struggles. A show named BoJack Horseman dives into depression and self-destructive behavior through an anthropomorphic horse. It gives a beautiful account on healing and how complicated mental problems can become.
Showing us the way Forward
The shows have depicted us everything that is there to see. There are shows which have shown us the brighter side of the mental struggles and then there are shows which makes everything around us brighter. Overall, the modern age shows have been so successful where our society and governments have failed I.e. normalizing the conversation around mental health and showing us the way forward. Some shows have successfully focused on the lives and the journey of characters who have truly overcome these struggles. The binge worthy shows have been able to dive deep into these topics and show us exactly what needs to be done. The way out of a messy mental health Is complicated, these shows have been able to portray its ugliness and imperfect nature of healing.
The television has shown remarkable strides in shaping up human society, the cultures and everything that comes with it. They have fostered great awareness and open up gates for an inclusive conversation through diverse yet accurate story telling. This has shown massive impact on society and thrown up light on really sensitive mental health themes. There is so much to be explored in cinema and mental health, the show must go on.
Streaming Options
