by Mahad Azam
The Islamia University of Bahawalpur
Anxiety? Overthinking? Trouble saying ‘No’? Congratulations — According to Instagram, you might have childhood trauma, attachment issues, ADHD, and a “healing inner child” that just needs lavender tea and journaling prompts.
Welcome to Today’s Generation with Social Media as its Quack, where therapy has a new face: filters, fonts, and 30-second reels. Mental health conversations have exploded on social media, but so has the rise of self-proclaimed experts who offer psychology in pastel colors — and without a psychology/any other appropriate degree.
In Pakistan, where access to trained therapists is limited and the stigma around mental illness remains firmly in place, social media fills a dangerous vacuum. The problem? Much of the content being consumed as “mental health advice” comes from people with no clinical training whatsoever. These creators are not just influencers — they’re digital therapists, motivational speakers, trauma coaches, and “energy healers.” They post digestible affirmations, use therapy-speak liberally, and sprinkle terms like “narcissist,” “gaslighting,” and “emotional neglect” like confetti — often without the nuance or accuracy these terms demand.
What’s worse is how these bite-sized diagnoses play out: “If you overthink, you have anxiety.” “If you like being alone, you’re dissociating.” “If you’re tired, it’s depression.” While such posts may feel validating, they also blur the line between actual symptoms and everyday stress. The result? A generation self-diagnosing itself into a corner — and often doing so incorrectly.
“It’s not just misinformation. It’s emotional clickbait,” said a clinical psychologist in Lahore, who has treated multiple young patients confused by what they’ve seen online. “People are bonding over shared struggles — but also mislabeling them, which delays real help.”
Globally, the trend is concerning. A 2022 study on TikTok mental health videos found over 50% of them contained misleading or outright false information. Locally, no such data exists, but the evidence is there every time you scroll: creators with thousands of followers doling out psychological advice — sometimes in between sponsored posts for skincare products.
It doesn’t help that this kind of content often looks more comforting than actual therapy. It’s easier to double-tap a post than to book a session. And in a society, where going to therapy is still whispered about, reels can feel like a safer space. But that false comfort can also be dangerous.
Some influencers go even further, offering “healing” courses and mental wellness programs — for a price. They rarely mention their qualifications (or lack thereof), but many young viewers trust them anyway. After all, it’s on Instagram, and it feels therapeutic. That’s the trap.
Now, this isn’t to say all mental health content online is bad. Several trained psychologists in Pakistan use social media responsibly to raise awareness, educate, and break stigma. Their work is essential — and usually less viral. Why? Because real therapy isn’t always aesthetic, and healing doesn’t fit into a reel.
So, what do we do? We need digital literacy campaigns that don’t just tell young people to be careful, but actually show them how to fact-check what they consume. We need regulations — even basic ones — that require creators giving medical or psychological advice to disclose their credentials. And we need to keep reminding ourselves that therapy isn’t entertainment.
Mental health is not a trend. And healing doesn’t come from someone who learned psychology through Pinterest quotes. In the age of the algorithm, maybe the most radical act is this: logging off and talking to someone who’s actually trained to listen.
