It is an unfortunate reality that mental illness and suicide are now things that students joke about without a 2nd thought, a trend that runs deeper in our student body than some would like to admit.

The phrase “I want to kill myself” has now become the typical student response to trivial setbacks, such as earning a “B–” on an essay or having to run a lap in P.E.

While a certain amount of stress can be normal, especially in high school, there is a growing number of young people in our society who are truly struggling with unhealthy levels of anxiety or other disorders.

I’ve witnessed plenty of my friends and peers with such legitimate disorders, and it upsets me that people are so lax with throwing around phrases like “kill yourself” or “I am depressed” when there are people with genuine mental health issues all around them.

Also, the normalization of joking about suicide or other ideations makes it difficult to identify those who actually need help. Nowadays, few students bat an eye anymore when someone talks about contemplating suicide aloud.

In addition to threatening suicide, students throw around terms like “depressed,” “anxious,” and “bipolar” without understanding their true weight.

There are those who report depression or other types of mental illness, not because they are truly suffering, but because they are compelled by their need to be part of the trend.  It is a sad reality that the need for attention on the part of some are taking attention and resources away from those who actually need it.

This practice is extremely problematic, and students should be more aware of the fact that the issue of mental health is real.

Just because we live in a time where mental health has become a more approachable subject does not make it okay to try to be something you’re not.

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