Mental health awareness among youth is a relevant issue that has been spreading. You might have a friend who becomes withdrawn, or maybe more aggressive at the slightest inconvenience, or a friend who seems deprived of the environment around them, restless, and paranoid. We can now see this as a mental health issue. Harmful stereotypes aside, many cases of a decline in mental health decline can differ. We now know that youth who have mental health issues could be experiencing a build-up of years of cause and effect. Neglect, abuse, and trauma are common attributes of the problem, unfortunately. I have noticed mental health problems can occur immediately rather than a build-up of years of stress and torment as well. It seems like I’m always learning something new about the topic.
Mental health awareness among youth may be growing because of social media and the stories that are told regarding mental health. I see positive ways that entertainment media can play a significant role in mental health awareness, depending on how effective and communicative it is in the media. For example, many people find comfort in characters who share similar feelings, which can validate themselves and help them gain a sense of self. Depending on the scenario, this is a great way to expand the horizons of open-mindedness to help aid a teen’s mental health. We’ve all had a moment in our lives where we pictured ourselves as fictional characters or were positively influenced by characters that impact their mental health. Some characters that are known for their influence can be Goku from Dragon Ball Z, Ellen Ripley from Aliens 2, Ryan Gosling from Drive, and Sidney from the Scream franchise are some of my favorites.
This is important because entertainment is a form of comfort for people. Creating stories that bring awareness to issues such as mental health is a beneficial way of bringing awareness to mental health. I wanted to do the same with “Tom the Ticking Time Bomb”
People tend to see the details on a wider personal and relatable scale, and for some people, it means a lot to them as a way to reflect on themselves. Maybe those people can understand themselves somehow and resolve it with self motivated improvement or with outside help.
“Tom the Ticking Time Bomb” is my graphic novel that explores mental health. To read it, tap on the image below.
