does pop culture contribute to depression?

[fabulouslyghetto]

the article is about an increase in anxiety/depression/mental disorders in youth from the early 20th century to today, but this is the part that stuck out to me

Twenge and mental health professionals speculate that a popular culture increasingly focused on the external — from wealth to looks and status — has contributed to the uptick in mental health issues.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34803404/ns/health-mental_health/

If I were sober I'd be able to tie in a little bit of society's obsession with escapism and facades, from pop princess who ALWAYS look perfect to video games and entertainment dominating social activism, but I'm not, so I won't even try it.

 

[scains]

I am going to answer this as seriously as I can.

I think it's probably true - the perfection in media leads to people feeling inadequate about themselves.

Having seen depression first-hand I would say it's a different kind of depression, but then again, since I haven't experienced it myself I couldn't really say for sure.

 

[Crashcase]

I really don't see a correlation between a rising number of hours spent in front of the telly watching fakely beautiful people who sound like everything just fell in their lap (looks, money, "happiness", etc.) and the average waist line and level of physical/mental inactivity going up by the second, do you?

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

I really don't see a correlation between a rising number of hours spent in front of the telly watching fakely beautiful people who sound like everything just fell in their lap (looks, money, "happiness", etc.) and the average waist line and level of physical/mental inactivity going up by the second, do you?

I'm drunk so it took me three reads to detect the sarcasm.

 

[Sequencellariot]

They're not talking about pop culture. They're talking about the overwhelming popularity of superficiality in our culture.

I don't know if I agree and the subject doesn't interest me enough for me to read much about it.

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

They're not talking about pop culture. They're talking about the overwhelming popularity of superficiality in our culture.

Yeah, 'cuz those are two completely different things.

But I see where you're coming from, I'm sure that them specifically mentioning "pop culture" was just a typo and that they were, in fact, NOT talking about pop culture.

 

[Sequencellariot]

I don't see the term ~pop culture~ in the article.

Concerning my post, you can't accurately link those two words from different parts of the post in the way that you did because they don't have that relation. "Pop(ularity)" in my post modifies "superficiality", not "culture". But I see where you're coming from.

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

I don't see the term ~pop culture~ in the article.

Oh, then it must not be! Lord knows that nothing exists unless Sequencellariot sees it, it musn't be there (in spite of me quoting the specific passage that mentions pop culture in the OP).

 

[BabiGayPimp]

the article is about an increase in anxiety/depression/mental disorders in youth from the early 20th century to today, but this is the part that stuck out to me



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34803404/ns/health-mental_health/

If I were sober I'd be able to tie in a little bit of society's obsession with escapism and facades, from pop princess who ALWAYS look perfect to video games and entertainment dominating social activism, but I'm not, so I won't even try it.

Karen_Walker babe, you have nailed this as squarely as Tiger nailed his last hoe (which shoulda been me)! The expectations that are imparted to young people today are contributing to deprerssion: mine! That pie-in-the-sky, "you're the master of the universe, you can have it all, it's all about you" crap does not prepare young people for real life. Real life is about compromise, coping with failure, not being entirely fulfilled. The other way of thinking (Pollyana), which seems to have come out of self-actualization theory, or straight from hell (same difference), has contaminated the popular culture. And I'm tired of it.

 

[Sequencellariot]

Oh, then it must not be! Lord knows that nothing exists unless Sequencellariot sees it, it musn't be there (in spite of me quoting the specific passage that mentions pop culture in the OP).

You gonna throw some gifs at me now too?

I don't know who's not fucking you right but it ain't me so tone it down.

 

[LongBeachBill]

I don't believe this, personally. I think these ideas are put out there partly to get people to think they don't have to take responsibility for their own lives.
It's crap.

The drug companies love this stuff.....sure, go get a prescrption for an anti-depressant. Ugh.

 

[andysayshi]

While I'm sure that being bombarded with images of wealth and physical perfection aren't necessarily good for the psyche, I think there are many other factors at play, such as:

More psycho-analysis. Youth has always been "troubled", we just send them to shrinks to be diagnosed more. Years ago we didn't. (50 years ago, some kids were naughty. Now they have ADD.)

More pharma input. As mentioned above, rich and powerful drug companies have a vested interest in us needing anti-depressants.

Family detachment. Modern western families are far less likely to eat together, to talk and play together, than ever before. Both parents working, out-sourced child care etc mean less interaction and understanding between family members.

Social detachment. Leisure activities are more and more detached from true social interaction. Video games and online networking might imply connection with others, but in reality we're all frequently sitting alone talking and playing with our "friends", rather than exploring real relationships and experiences.

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

I don't believe this, personally. I think these ideas are put out there partly to get people to think they don't have to take responsibility for their own lives.
It's crap.

While I agree 8,000% that drug companies have America by the balls, the polar opposite is unacceptable to me as well... to denounce the study of human behavior and mental disorders as marketing schemes.

I think psychology and psychiatry are underrated fields of study. Many people don't take responsibility for their own lives. If we can obtain a better understanding of why they don't, isn't that the first step in fixing the problem?

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

While I'm sure that being bombarded with images of wealth and physical perfection aren't necessarily good for the psyche, I think there are many other factors

Agreed. For the record, neither the article nor I lay exclusive blame on pop culture. The article lists it as a factor, and I wrote "Does [it] CONTRIBUTE..."

More psycho-analysis. Youth has always been "troubled", we just send them to shrinks to be diagnosed more. Years ago we didn't. (50 years ago, some kids were naughty. Now they have ADD.)

The above poster has already "gone there" so all I'll say is... cosign.

Family detachment. Modern western families are far less likely to eat together, to talk and play together, than ever before. Both parents working, out-sourced child care etc mean less interaction and understanding between family members.

Hate to sound like a diplomat but I can't agree more. The family structure has completely broken down. When I was in elementary school I had my immediate family, then Grandma, Grandaddy and cousins down the street. Various aunts and uncles no more than a 20 minute drive away.

Now my parents, sisters and cousins live two hours away, the aunt who gave me my middle name is moving to Mississippi, a good 8 hours away. My older sister said that her daughter was looking through her wedding album, pointed to my picture and said "I'm never gonna see my uncle again."
sters live 2 hours away, my grand

Social detachment. Leisure activities are more and more detached from true social interaction. Video games and online networking might imply connection with others, but in reality we're all frequently sitting alone talking and playing with our "friends", rather than exploring real relationships and experiences.

This reminds me of another piece I read a while back, an editorial on growing anti-socialism, how communication technology has turned us into a bunch of impersonal sociopaths that can't carry a decent face-to-face conversation. Once again, I can only agree.