Photo by Sydney Sims on Unsplash

Nowadays, Society consistently tackles mental health issues. We see it in our Actors, our Singers, our Writers, our Royalty. Not just that, we see it in our bosses, our co-workers our peers. No not just that, we see it in our family, our friends, our children. And what happens, people capitalise and just get richer.

How you ask? Really think about it. Mental Health has become a powerful topic in modern society. And anything that becomes a powerful topic people want to become a part of it. Powerful topics mean viewers and viewers mean money. So why is this dangerous? First, let me tell you about it a little.

Books. Even though films and tv shows have become more accessible, people still read. People enjoy imagining a life they could relate to, and by relating to it be adapted into a new story. This can be from the “Fault in Our Stars” or “Looking for Alaska” both of which relate to angst, anxiety and their place in society(both written by John Green). The reader can relate to the emotions felt by the characters so they can become part of the book. So here comes the question, what the hell does this have to do anything with mental health? Here’s how.

See since what you did not notice was that both books amplify the deep sorrows of reality which many just deem normal life because let’s be real, life’s not easy. And the sorrows of each story become part of self-reflection. They amplify the injustices and depressive events of our life. I broke up with someone, I am not as popular as I want to be, I am not as smart as I want to be.

Things like this give us a certain addictive type of self-reflection. We begin to become unhappy with life, as it is not a cakewalk. We start to speak out about the little things that don’t really matter. You and your ex aren’t dating anymore and you’re the sad one? You broke up with them. It must have been a pretty good reason since you broke up, right? A real problem is being wrongfully deported like thousands are every day all across the world. That’s a real problem, or starvation or not having access to drinking water. Those are real problems.

Now you started drinking maybe taking a couple of pills listening to music that is depressing or has melodramatic elements (like Billie Eilish) which amplify your feelings until you snowball into a positive feedback loop and you keep getting more and more depressed until you “ off ” yourself.

Now your close ones are depressed and maybe they fall into the same habit as yourself. Congrats this is what happens in modern society.

Now let me run it back to you from a monetary perspective. You read sad books or watch sad movies, so writers/producers create more of this work. You keep consuming and they keep getting richer. Now you’re listening to sad music and the money is going to the artist who just needs to be kept in the spotlight by you to make money. Then you are drinking/smoking/doing drugs and the Alcohol/tobacco/medical industries make money and since you’re addicted they keep making money. And suddenly, boom, you’re dead, but guess what it, doesn’t really matter cause you affected everyone around you and the ripple effect you created spreads through society, making everyone fall into the same pattern you fell into and the rich keep getting richer.

Child suicide rates have soared over the past decade and it is due to this. We want better mental health but we don’t promote it. We promote depression and mental sickness in the process. Recently Prince Harry and Meghan Markle returned from Africa and they complained about their mental health, not even having the courtesy to talk about the starving children there.

I just wanted to say congratulation to these magnificent public icons for talking about how weary it is to be rich and famous much like Kylie Jenner who complains about how everyone asks her to pay for everything just cause she’s a billionaire.

Listen, We get it. Life is unfair. Some get fired and have to sell their house, some have to fight for survival due to contaminated water, others have to complain about having to dish out a little money because they are the richest in the family. But it is absolutely audacious that they get pitied, and are always at the centre of attention, and they don’t even have the courtesy to talk about people who have more serious issues. This is our wake-up call, we should not endorse mental-health issues but mental-health wellness and we should stop looking at the rich and famous and start caring about the millions across the globe who do not have a voice.

By Daniel .S. Földes