by Pippa Richards, Dom Piceno, Maddi Butler, and Ruby Chadd
This article was written by students from MANT252, a paper designed to develop future leaders. As a part of this, they’re tasked with leading a social action project with relevant stakeholders, and this group requested Critic Te Ārohi. The following article is one of those projects.
We have set out to address mental health and crack down on why there's such a stigma around finding help when you are feeling shit. Despite listening to your fav motivational podcasts or sad Spotify playlist, drowning your sorrows or even having a cheeky cone as a relatively cheap coping mechanism, mental health chats need to be had. After all, nearly one in four young people aged from 15 - 24 years experience high levels of mental distress. We spoke to Ollie Mills and Kind of a Big Deal, social media creators who are trying to further this conversation online, as well as a representative of Silverline, an Otago-based initiative that recently shut down.
Ollie Mills
This conversation is happening everywhere on social media - perhaps ironic given that social media is itself a driver of anxiety. Oliver Mills has over 627.8K followers on TikTok and a podcast called ‘An Attempt at Existence’. His journey into discussing his mental health on social media wasn’t a calculated decision; he just started out online sharing videos of himself singing and occasionally crying in his car while listening to sad songs. For Ollie, it was merely a reflection of the human experience, something he believed everyone went through which, if we’re honest, we all do.
But when Ollie’s mum expressed concern about his videos, he realised the impact he was having. Thousands of comments from viewers flooded in worrying about his wellbeing, which prompted him to make a video addressing his mental health. He revealed to his followers in another video that he had been battling depression since the age of 16 and had been taking medication for eight years. To him, discussing his depression was a natural extension of his identity, something he couldn't hide if he wanted to be authentic online.
He compares his depression to a chronic illness, similar to diabetes, that he must manage daily. This desensitisation allows him to discuss his struggles openly, but he is aware of his responsibility to not exploit his mental health for views or engagement, emphasising that his goal is to be honest about his experiences rather than desensitise them.
Ollie believes that normalising mental health conversations is the first step in making a meaningful change. He says that comments like “seeing you singing and expressing emotion helps me express my own” reflects the influence he’s had. This type of influencer reminds us that it's okay not to be okay, and that seeking help and sharing our experiences can make a world of difference in the lives of others.
Kind of a Big Deal
We also reached out to Bryn Fredheim and Ryan Forlong, known as ‘Kind of a Big Deal’. Their journey into the world of mental health advocacy began in Dunedin with their involvement in the ‘It's Not Awkward, Bro’ initiative, run by a student-led programme called Silverline. This campaign was aimed at breaking down the barriers in discussing mental health among friends. The initiative provided conversation starter cards and created safe spaces for open dialogue. As Bryn recalls, "We talk heaps of nonsense all the time but never really about how we feel with each other. During one of these sessions, we discovered that some of our mates were struggling with mental health. It was an eye-opener."
With their humorous videos and laid-back style, Bryn and Ryan have garnered a substantial online following. However, like all influencers, they've encountered their fair share of negativity and trolls. When asked how they deal with online criticism, Ryan emphasises, "We don't take it too seriously. There are plenty of good comments out there, and the mean ones often make us laugh." Bryn adds, "Our style is all about humour and taking things lightly. If we find it funny and we're happy with it, that's what matters."
Balancing work and wellness in maintaining mental health while juggling the demands of social media can be challenging. For Bryn and Ryan, exercise plays a pivotal role. They've also learned the importance of setting boundaries between work and personal life. Ryan explains, "We've become more aware of the need to have time for ourselves, away from video content creation. Sometimes, it feels like making funny videos is all-consuming."
When asked about their role in addressing mental health, Bryn and Ryan believe that influencers can significantly encourage conversations. While they don't feel obligated to do so, they recognise the potential impact of their platform. Bryn says, "If we can make a funny video that also brings home a message, like encouraging people to talk to their mates, then that's a bonus."
Silverline
Silverline is a student-led initiative in Dunedin dedicated to building a community around mental health and wellbeing, tracing back to 2016 when the University of Otago commissioned a review of its mental health services to students. Recognizing the need for more student-led initiatives, the University's Student Health Service approached Sze-En and her team at the Social Impact Studio to explore innovative ways to support students' mental health.
Sze-En believes that every student here wants to have a positive impact in the community, especially socially. Silverline takes a student-centred approach, leveraging the creativity, energy, and passion of students to create spaces for open conversations about mental health and wellbeing. The kaupapa behind Silverline was acknowledging that the mental health struggle is real, and then to “challenge the struggle”. It’s about challenging students and the University about how we engage in conversations about mental health and wellbeing.
Over the years students repeatedly showed up for Silverline events, big and small, proving their willingness to engage in conversations about mental health: “A testament to how much students give a shit.” Sze-En believes that what underpinned Silverline’s approach was taking a creative spin on how they were engaging with students: “Who wants to go to an academic conference about mental health and wellbeing unless you're studying psych?” This approach sparked events and initiatives such as the annual Silverline Festival, Fluro Fridays (inspired by the OneWave community in Aussie), and Silverline Flat Chats.
Despite the substantial interest Silverline received from students, it was not unusual for Silverline to apply for external funding to offer their initiatives, as continuous funding remained challenging. Silverline challenged the struggle for a good six years. Silverline’s passion and devotion to student mental health was recognised by the Minister of Health as recipients of the Youth Volunteer Award in recent years, and they also hold a position in the Otago Hall of Fame.
Although Silverline has been discontinued, Sze-En pointed out that there are still many other communities and initiatives that support student mental health and overall wellbeing, including the new student team behind Hold On To Your Friends and long established organisations like Youthline. Sze-En encourages students to challenge themselves to get out of their bubble and meet new people, and gain some new experiences and perspectives. “A bit of life padding,” says Sze-En. Inspired by some recent guest speakers, Sze-En also says not to underestimate the power of drinking water and choosing rest, two small but impactful steps you can take for yourself.
We suggest that the University could also give us a hand in this - perhaps through longer mid-semester breaks and not having assignments due the week after? The pandemic response proved that the University is able to pivot rapidly, so surely they can pivot in the mental health landscape to achieve the start of some better balance for students.
Overall, it doesn’t matter whether you have a TikTok following or not. If you’re feeling shit, talking openly to your mates like Ollie, Bryn and Ryan do can have powerful effects on your own mindset and your mates’ perspectives. Simultaneously, reaching out to local support networks or “challenging the struggle” yourself by meeting new people to gain new experiences and perspectives are small steps you can take for your mental health.