Although technological advancements have torn down barriers and made it easier for us to communicate and access information, it seems as though social media is taking the wrong turn with respect to mental illnesses. Across multiple social media sites, including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tumblr, I find that people have started to romanticise mental illnesses instead of understanding how debilitating they can be.
The true meaning of depression, anorexia, self-harm and even obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is starting to get lost. I agree that we should be open about mental health but not to the extent of glamourising and even self-diagnosing serious conditions.
According to Dr Talaat Mattar, consultant psychiatrist at the Ministry of Health, about 4 or 5 per cent of the population suffers from clinical depression. Considering the stigma still attached to mental illness, one has to wonder how many cases go untreated.
I often hear people say they are “stressed, depressed, but still well dressed”. Shirts, mugs and iPhone cases are sold with the quote. People throw around the word “depressed” as though it is an emotion rather than a serious illness. Some of the references to depression might be caused by all the books and movies that show how broken girls are put back together by the undying love of a man. Perhaps this drives some people to want to be “broken” in order to be loved. But depression is not beautifully tragic and misinformation is causing people to mistake sadness for depression. Or, as some experts have pointed out, adolescents are increasingly confusing the clinical disorder called depression with everyday challenges.
I conducted a survey to find out whether or not people in the UAE are contributing to the glamourisation of mental illness. It was conducted at the end of 2014, and was answered by people mainly in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The survey consisted of 13 questions. When people were asked what they thought of the quote “stressed, depressed but well dressed”, 173 of 266 respondents said they felt that they could relate to it. As many as 170 thought that a suicide note in the form of a poem was “beautiful”, and 240 said that social media is helping turn depression into a trend.
Eating disorders such as anorexia are also being glamorised by the media. Certain standards have been set for the so-called perfect body. These standards and size-zero models lead people to believe that the skinnier you are, the prettier, and that not eating will bring you closer to happiness. Even though there is some attempt to accept other body sizes, the tendency is to patronise those with a thicker body shape. For example, when America’s Next Top Model accepted a larger woman into the show, throughout the season there were references to her being “bigger”.
It is unfortunate that people don’t understand that anorexia could be a deadly eating disorder. In the survey I conducted, 209 respondents labelled a skinny person as “anorexic”.
In addition to a survey, I also conducted 20 random interviews in Abu Dhabi – 10 women and 10 men in the 17-35 age group. They were asked questions to determine whether they believed that skinny meant beautiful. Seventy per cent of the women and 80 per cent of the men did. Some of the responses were as follows: “Here in the UAE, men look for skinner women to marry, if a woman is fat then she is less likely to find a suitor quickly.” And “fat people don’t have a reason to be fat, there is no such thing as ‘I was born this way’. This is just an excuse that fat people use to convince themselves and others.”
Depression, OCD, anorexia and other mental illnesses are not personality traits that you can add on to the list of things that make you different. They are illnesses that destroy people’s lives. Reducing mental illnesses to idiosyncratic traits helps spread misinformation and drives those in need of help further away from getting it.
Mariam Ali AlMazrouie is a psychology student and founder of Global Humanitarian Aid Foundation
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
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The biog
Hobby: "It is not really a hobby but I am very curious person. I love reading and spend hours on research."
Favourite author: Malcom Gladwell
Favourite travel destination: "Antigua in the Caribbean because I have emotional attachment to it. It is where I got married."
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
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● No of employees: Nine
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
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Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Profile of Udrive
Date started: March 2016
Founder: Hasib Khan
Based: Dubai
Employees: 40
Amount raised (to date): $3.25m – $750,000 seed funding in 2017 and a Seed round of $2.5m last year. Raised $1.3m from Eureeca investors in January 2021 as part of a Series A round with a $5m target.
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Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
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Manchester United 1 (Greenwood 77')
Everton 1 (Lindelof 36' og)
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Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
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Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
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Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')
Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')
Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)