Social media has changed our understanding of what is normal.
Behaviors that once might have caused friends, family members, or coworkers to express concern can now be filmed, uploaded, shared, debated, and turned into entertainment within hours. When a public figure displays behavior online that viewers perceive as erratic, highly emotional, impulsive, or concerning, the reaction can quickly become part of the spectacle.
We cannot diagnose someone’s mental health from social media. There could be so many explanations for behavior we see online, and viewers rarely have enough information to know what’s really happening behind the scenes.
What psychologists can examine, however, is what repeated exposure to this type of content may do to the audience.
Social media can shift our idea of “normal”
Human beings are heavily influenced by social norms. We look to other people for information about how we should behave, what we should tolerate, and when something deserves attention.
Social media dramatically increases that exposure.
If highly dysregulated, aggressive, impulsive, or otherwise concerning behavior repeatedly appears alongside jokes, memes, supportive comments, and millions of views, our perception of that behavior can gradually change.
What initially seems alarming can eventually feel ordinary.
This becomes particularly concerning when behaviors that could sometimes indicate psychological distress are dismissed as someone’s personality, celebrated as authenticity, or treated purely as entertainment.
Normalization doesn’t mean everyone who watches the content will copy it. But repeated exposure can influence where we draw the line between behavior that’s simply unconventional and behavior that might warrant professional support.
There is a difference between acceptance and avoidance
We’ve made important progress in reducing the stigma surrounding mental health. People should not be ashamed of experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, mood disorders or other psychological difficulties.
But reducing stigma should never mean pretending that serious symptoms don’t matter.
There is an important distinction between accepting someone who is struggling and accepting potentially harmful symptoms without encouraging treatment.
If someone’s mental health is significantly interfering with relationships, work, parenting, decision-making, or everyday functioning, compassion and treatment can work together.
In fact, just encouraging help on its own can be an act of compassion.
Why young people may be particularly vulnerable
Children and adolescents are still developing their identities, emotional regulation, judgment and understanding of social norms.
They also place considerable importance on peer acceptance.
When young people repeatedly see influencers and celebrities rewarded with attention for extreme behavior, they may receive an unintended message: dramatic behavior gets attention.
Algorithms can intensify this. The most provocative content often generates strong reactions, which can mean young viewers encounter similar material repeatedly.
A teenager may consequently have difficulty distinguishing between healthy self-expression and behavior that suggests someone is struggling.
There is another risk. If concerning psychological symptoms are constantly joked about or incorporated into online identities, young people experiencing similar symptoms themselves may start to believe seeking help isn’t necessary.
They might think, “Everyone feels like this.”
Sometimes everyone doesn’t.
Even adults aren’t immune to social influence
Adults generally have more developed judgment and life experience, but that doesn’t make them immune to normalization.
Repeated exposure can gradually alter perceptions at any age.
For adults, the consequences may appear differently. Someone might overlook concerning changes in their own behavior because similar behavior appears commonplace online. A partner may tolerate increasingly unhealthy behavior in a relationship because they’ve become accustomed to seeing it normalized. Parents may struggle to recognize when their teenager’s behavior has crossed from typical adolescence into something needing additional support.
Adults may also participate in another unhealthy social media phenomenon: turning another person’s apparent distress into entertainment.
Behind every viral clip is a human being.
We should be careful about forgetting that.
When does someone need help?
Mental health treatment isn’t necessary simply because someone behaves differently from other people.
What’s important is whether their thoughts, emotions, or behaviors are causing significant distress, creating safety concerns, becoming difficult to control or interfering with their ability to function.
Changes in sleep, relationships, work performance, emotional regulation, judgment, substance use, self-care or everyday responsibilities can all provide important clues.
Rather than asking, “Is this behavior normal?” it can be more helpful to ask, “Is this behavior causing harm?”
How therapy with a clinical psychologist can help
A clinical psychologist provides something social media cannot: individualized assessment.
Instead of judging a person based on isolated behaviors, a psychologist can explore what’s changed, how long it has been happening, what might be contributing to it and how significantly it’s affecting everyday life.
Therapy can also help people recognize patterns they’ve gradually begun accepting as normal.
Someone might realize that constant anxiety has been controlling their decisions for years. Another person may recognize that anger has damaged important relationships. Someone else may finally understand that behaviors they’ve been joking about online are actually signs that they’re struggling.
Treatment can then focus on the individual rather than the ‘label’.
Depending on what someone is experiencing, therapy can involve learning how to emotionally regulate, challenging unhealthy thinking patterns, addressing trauma, developing healthier coping strategies, improving relationships and understanding triggers behind difficult behaviors.
For parents, therapy can also provide guidance around distinguishing ordinary developmental behavior from changes that deserve closer attention.
Compassion should include getting help
We can avoid judging people while still recognizing when behavior is concerning. We can reduce stigma while acknowledging that psychological disorders deserve treatment. And we can respect someone’s individuality without pretending that suffering is simply another personality trait.
Social media may influence what appears normal.
But it shouldn’t determine what we consider healthy.
*All conversations with our team are strictly confidential.
PVD Psychological Associates specialize in college mental health, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, trauma, LGBTQIA+ issues, and relationship difficulties.
We also see clients for a range of other issues.
If you would like to discuss your needs with a therapist, complete the enquiry form on our Contact page and we’ll call or email you for a confidential chat.
