Mental Health on the For You Page: Healing or Just Scrolling?
đ Introduction
Like many people my age, Iâve spent more nights than I can count scrolling through TikTok until the early hours. Somewhere between the dance challenges, recipe hacks, and âday in my lifeâ vlogs, I started seeing a new kind of content on my For You Pageâmental health advice. Videos about anxiety, therapy tips, relationship boundaries, and âhealing journeysâ seemed to pop up every time I opened the app. At first, I found them comforting, even inspiring. But the more I saw, the more I wondered: Is this content truly helping people, or are we just trading professional care for quick, feel-good moments on our screens?
That question became the heart of this project. I wanted to explore how TikTok âtherapy influencersâ are shaping conversations about mental healthâespecially for young people. This topic matters now more than ever. Mental health awareness is growing, but so is the influence of social media in our daily lives. Millions of people are turning to online creators instead of licensed therapists, which raises important questions about accuracy, ethics, and the emotional impact of this shift. While these creators can be a valuable first step toward self-awareness, they cannot replace the depth of care and understanding that comes from someone who knows your unique history, pain, and personal truth (Huston 20; Wright 85).
To understand the full picture, I approached the topic from multiple angles. I created three distinct genres:
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An Op-Ed to challenge readers to think critically about mental health advice on TikTok and its risks and rewards.
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A TikTok Script to capture how these messages are packaged in the platformâs fast, visual, and highly shareable style.
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A Direct Message Exchange to reflect the personal, behind-the-scenes conversations these posts can spark between followers and influencers.
Each genre is aimed at a different audience and uses its own style and tone. Taken together, they show how the same topic can feel, sound, and resonate differently depending on how itâs told.
As you move through this project, I encourage you to readâand watchâwith both curiosity and caution. Think about how these messages reach you, how they make you feel, and whether they invite you to heal, reflect, or simply scroll on.
đ Table of Contents
1. Op-Ed Article
âTikTok Therapy Feels GoodâBut Itâs Not a Substitute for the Real Thingâ
 A persuasive commentary targeting general readers and mental health consumers, this op-ed argues that while therapy content on TikTok can be validating, it risks oversimplifying serious mental health issues in ways that may do more harm than good.
2. TikTok Video Script
âWhy You Keep Getting Attached to People Who Are Bad for Youâ
 This fictional TikTok script demonstrates how therapy influencers use visuals, language, and tone to quickly create emotional resonance and trust â sometimes mimicking the intimacy of real therapy.
3. DM Exchange
âDear @therapyjeff: A Conversation Between a Viewer and an Influencerâ
 A fictional direct message from a follower who expresses both gratitude and confusion about TikTok therapy, followed by a response from the influencer. This exchange reveals the emotional complexity of consuming mental health content online.
4. Final Thoughts: What I Learned About Mental Health on TikTok
 A reflection on the choices made throughout the project â including intended audiences, tone, platform, and rhetorical strategies. This section analyzes how each genre communicates its message and contributes to a larger conversation about therapy, media, and identity.
5. Works Cited
A complete list of sources referenced throughout the project, including academic articles, media sources, and sample TikTok content.