Over the past decade, social media has evolved into one of the most powerful influences on youth culture. It has shaped how people express themselves, connect with others and even helped many understand and process their feelings and emotions. Platforms such as Tumblr, Instagram and TikTok have defined an era of internet identity and have successfully set standards for beauty, creativity and authenticity.
However, as these platforms began to center self-expression, they also changed the way sadness and mental illness were represented. What was once considered one’s personal information is now public for all to see. Mental health struggles evolved into aesthetics and trends. Social media is, unfortunately, the catalyst of this issue.
The early 2010’s marked the rise of Tumblr, a blogging app that became synonymous with emotional expression. According to DemandSage, from 2011-2015, the application hosted over 260 million blogs. Users during this time often posted primarily to blog their thoughts, feelings and events happening in their lives and takes on pop culture. Users often took on a certain aesthetic, influenced by topics that were trending on the app. The “Tumblr Girl” aesthetic- defined by soft grunge visuals, black and white imagery and indie sleaze music & fashion spread rapidly. Artists like Lana Del Rey, The 1975 and Lorde embodied utter emotional moodiness. Reinforcing the idea that being sad is what made a person interesting.
By the mid-2010’s, Tumblr’s soft gloom gave way to Instagram’s polished perfection. Sadness was no longer the defining aesthetic- perfection was. With the “golden age” of Instagram came the addition of Instagram models and influencers into daily life. The addition of these figures created new pressures for teenagers. There was constantly a new beauty standard to follow, a new makeup trend to try or a new way to live life. Teens were constantly comparing themselves to the image they saw on the screen. The shift replaced emotional vulnerability with idealized beauty standards, leading to a new wave of depression, insecurity and body image issues. The desire to appear effortlessly happy and flawless made genuine emotion harder to express.
When COVID-19 unexpectedly hit in 2020, it brought an immediate shift in social media trends. During quarantine, TikTok became an outlet for many to express their emotions. The app encouraged vulnerability, much like its predecessor Tumblr. It also provided the same space for influencers similar to Instagram. Users regularly posted about the depression and burnout that being in lockdown brought and found comfort in others’ shared experiences. Yet, even this openness carried contradictions. The line between awareness and glamorization remained blurry, as “sad girl” trends gained traction. For some, sharing became healing; for others it didn’t.
Today, social media continues to feed on emotional expression in one way or another. And over the years, social media has shifted from glamorizing sadness to profiting from it. Each era has reflected society’s attempt to make sense of pain in a digital format. It shows how digital spaces have become mirrors for the way people process and share their lives and experiences.