In the age of ChatGPT shrinks, TikTok influencers peddling unhinged lifestyle advice, and rising visibility around mental health, can we trust digital strangers to guide our lives? In a culture addicted to shock value and fear mongering, life outside social media feels like a pressure cooker of anxiety. Algorithms only intensify these worries further; flooding feeds with videos engineered to trigger worry, fear, and hopelessness, targeting our deepest vulnerabilities. It is then no wonder that the global mental health crisis continues to worsen.
I have fallen prey to unwarranted mental wellness and lifestyle advice many times online. Influencers and “internet therapists” compete for fleeting attention spans by glamorizing a life free of mental illness, promised through quirky health rituals, such as eating an orange in the shower.
Self-proclaimed psychiatrists diagnose individuals with mental health disorders while spreading misinformation on the evils of prescription medication over herbal teas and vitamin supplements. While lifestyle changes can improve mental well-being, they cannot correct the chemical imbalance underlying many mental disorders. For countless people, medication is essential to survival, something no amount of green juice and Pilates can replace.
For me, the noise often drowns out my intuitions and overshadows the trust in myself and mental health professionals. Once you fall down the rabbit hole, it is not easy to climb out from it.
A recent article by the Guardian found that over half of the highest trending videos under #mentalhealthtips contained misinformation. For example, mental health experts discovered that 52 out of the 100 videos they identified involved deceptive “quick fix” remedies. It is so tempting to go for the band-aid solution rather than the rigorous and time-consuming effort that tackling mental health can take. Influencers know that, in fact, they profit from it.
Consider Kendra Hilty, who went viral in August 2025 for falling in love with her psychiatrist, and also sells ADHD coaching sessions, despite not being a licensed professional. The more influencers amplify anxiety to capture attention, the more unqualified guidance they can push onto their audiences. Fear sells.
However, I must acknowledge that normalizing discussions around mental health has some merit, even if done through an online format. The anonymous nature of social media comment sections unfortunately increases individuals’ reliability on strangers rather than professionals for mental health advice. Yet, they can also offer individuals a space to begin understanding the complexity of their mental illness.
For example, Lindsay Fleming is a licensed therapist who specializes in youth therapy alongside ADHD and anxiety treatment. Her videos feature educational content and help reduce stigma around therapy, especially for young adults. While I will always advocate for in-person counseling over 15-second video clips, therapy is a privilege. Therefore, seeking advice from licensed professionals, even in an online setting, is a step in the right direction.
So, how do we minimize these alarmist messages without ridding ourselves of social media completely? In a perfect world, I would love to boast that individuals should just stay off social media, take a walk outside, or read a book! But, if I did that, I would only be reiterating the unrealistic advice I have spent criticizing and rejecting.
Instead, I offer that individuals ask themselves, would I give this advice to a friend? Can I imagine a mental health professional offering this advice? Can I find this same advice on health information websites, such as the National Health Service? Does this advice provoke calm and clarity rather than unease, anxiety, and distress?
If any of the answers are no, keep scrolling, talk to a friend, and most importantly trust in yourself and your healthcare provider.