6 Gen Z’ers you Need to Know to Break Open your Mental Health Echo Chamber
Let’s face it– social media can be tricky sometimes. While it’s certainly a helpful tool in keeping us connected, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when we’re constantly pressured to show off the best version of ourselves online. Plus, when our feeds are full of endless information, and bad news that’s often out of our control, tuning everything out can seem like the easier option.
Social media also has the potential to impact our mental health. In a study from the Washington Post, 43% of Gen Z’ers admitted that social media negatively affects their self-esteem. Additionally, 27% of Gen Z, which is defined by its online-ness, reports poor mental health. This statistic is particularly striking since it’s 12% higher than the next closest generation.
But certainly, our social media experiences don’t need to be negative. By following Gen Z’ers who advocate for mental health and self-care, we can turn our feeds into safer and kinder places. Moreover, when we find advocates who offer diverse perspectives, experiences, and voices around mental health, we gain new insights and strategies we might otherwise miss in the algorithm.
Here are 6 Gen Z’ers to follow on Instagram if you want to break open your echo chamber around mental health:
1. Francesca Nicole Reicherter (she/her) | @freicherter
Francesca Nicole Reicherter is a mental health advocate committed to using her platform to be a voice for those who have lost theirs. She is the founder of Inspiring my Generation, a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting disparities in mental health awareness, support, and treatment accessibility. On Instagram, Francesa shares resources and initiates conversations from various perspectives about making mental health care more accessible for everyone. In addition, she draws from her personal experience with suicide and mental health treatment to create safe spaces for people to talk about their own experiences.