Grief in filters: The digital mask of emotion
Published: 04:06 PM,Jun 19,2025 | EDITED : 08:06 PM,Jun 19,2025
Syeda Rameen Ali
Gen Z is known for introducing many new concepts — some are worth the trend, others not so much. Over the past few years, Gen Z has started to treat sadness as an aesthetic, something to play around with instead of confronting it as a real emotion.
Whether it’s losing someone or going through a traumatic event, each emotion carries weight — and turning it into a trend makes those feelings harder to understand.
Instead of dealing with emotions directly, many young people turn to various coping mechanisms. Some are healthy, but others raise concerns. From ironic memes to oversharing on social media, these habits have become common ways to process pain.
Studies suggest that around 45 per cent of youth depend on harmful coping strategies. One of the most common is binge-watching series, which often leads to severe procrastination and distraction from studies or activities they used to enjoy. Another example is oversharing with strangers or online friends when they feel no one else understands — this could lead to leaks of personal information or even emotional harm.
Gen Z also uses dark humour to mask pain, often without realising that others going through the same thing might not find it funny. The most serious and damaging of all these habits is emotional numbing — thinking that suppressing emotions will stop the pain. But this only leads to endless scrolling, gaming, and surface-level interactions.
On the other hand, a portion of Gen Z is turning to healthier methods. Meditation helps calm the mind, journaling allows for emotional release, and reading gives a chance to relate to characters and better understand one’s own feelings.
Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok often glorify these unhealthy habits.
Reels, posts, and trauma-dump stories can make sadness look beautiful — and when pain becomes a trend, it becomes hard to tell who genuinely needs help and who’s following the aesthetic.
These habits can seriously affect mental health. Many experience anxiety, stress, or even depression without realizing what’s really causing it.
To change this, we need to shift towards better strategies — like opening up to someone we trust, doing creative or active things like art or sports, and seeing therapy as a healthy, not shameful, option.
In conclusion, it’s time to stop pretending everything is fine or turning pain into a joke.
Sadness is real, and everyone experiences it. The difference lies in how we cope — and it’s up to us to turn aesthetic into awareness.
Whether it’s losing someone or going through a traumatic event, each emotion carries weight — and turning it into a trend makes those feelings harder to understand.
Instead of dealing with emotions directly, many young people turn to various coping mechanisms. Some are healthy, but others raise concerns. From ironic memes to oversharing on social media, these habits have become common ways to process pain.
Studies suggest that around 45 per cent of youth depend on harmful coping strategies. One of the most common is binge-watching series, which often leads to severe procrastination and distraction from studies or activities they used to enjoy. Another example is oversharing with strangers or online friends when they feel no one else understands — this could lead to leaks of personal information or even emotional harm.
Gen Z also uses dark humour to mask pain, often without realising that others going through the same thing might not find it funny. The most serious and damaging of all these habits is emotional numbing — thinking that suppressing emotions will stop the pain. But this only leads to endless scrolling, gaming, and surface-level interactions.
On the other hand, a portion of Gen Z is turning to healthier methods. Meditation helps calm the mind, journaling allows for emotional release, and reading gives a chance to relate to characters and better understand one’s own feelings.
Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok often glorify these unhealthy habits.
Reels, posts, and trauma-dump stories can make sadness look beautiful — and when pain becomes a trend, it becomes hard to tell who genuinely needs help and who’s following the aesthetic.
These habits can seriously affect mental health. Many experience anxiety, stress, or even depression without realizing what’s really causing it.
To change this, we need to shift towards better strategies — like opening up to someone we trust, doing creative or active things like art or sports, and seeing therapy as a healthy, not shameful, option.
In conclusion, it’s time to stop pretending everything is fine or turning pain into a joke.
Sadness is real, and everyone experiences it. The difference lies in how we cope — and it’s up to us to turn aesthetic into awareness.