“Garbage.”
“Desensitized.”
“It’s like getting slapped in the face over and over, until you just don’t feel it anymore.”
These are ways that some DePaul students are describing their mental health in the current political climate.
Such descriptions, while concerning, are not uncommon for Gen Z.
Part of what is making people feel so distressed is the onslaught of daily news, often consumed from social media rather than more traditional news websites.
News stories about President Trump’s massive government cuts, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, attacks on trans people and threats to remove Palestinian people from Gaza, to name a few, dominate headlines.
Srija Chakraborty, a master’s student studying business analytics, finds never-ending social media feeds overwhelming.
“We don’t go deeper into what the actual story is,” Chakraborty said. “We tend to believe whatever is being shown to us.”
This phenomenon, and these stressors, are worldwide. Chakraborty, who transferred to DePaul from India in January, relates the sensationalist tendencies of receiving the news on social media to her home country.
“Politics in India are always in turmoil,” Chakraborty said. “The actual news is not being portrayed. They’re just showing whatever will get them views.”
About 82% of Instagram users come across news-related content while scrolling, as do 90% of TikTok users, 91% of Facebook users and 92% of X users, according to the Pew Research Center.
Zoe Lotarski, a sophomore accounting student, said it’s good to stay informed on the most important issues, especially human rights violations that have surged recently.
“People should always stay updated on that kind of stuff, because it affects a lot of people here in Chicago,” Lotarski said.
Lotarski said that while her mental health is OK, it could be better. She makes a conscious effort to regulate what she takes in and said it’s important to take breaks from the internet.
With the stresses of the world seemingly mounting, people at DePaul are trying to organize and come together.
Kristen Pengelly, a College of Communications professor, helped organize an event called Creating Connections with Office of Health, Promotion and Wellness director Tyler Wurst.
The Feb. 10 event, part of the Blue Demon Dialogue, set up small round tables to encourage students to talk with one another, whether it be about their mental health or their favorite snack.
“You can be in a group of people and still feel lonely,” Pengelly said. “There’s such a stigma about saying that you feel alone.”
The Creating Connections event was stacked with coloring pages, bracelet making supplies and chill music to help students relieve anxieties.
The Office of Health, Promotion and Wellness has two wellness support specialists who work in the office to aid students who are undergoing hard times. While they are not therapists, their support is confidential and available to students who need it.
Ishan Pujari, a freshman film student, said that while he gets his news through social media, he recognizes it is not the best way to stay informed. “The engagement baiting on social media is insane,” he said.
Still, in a political environment that seems to lack Gen Z voices, Lotarski said students have more of a connection to one another than they may realize — even on social media.
“People are feeling like their individual voices aren’t being heard,” Lotarski said. “But as a collective, Gen Z has made a space for themselves on platforms like TikTok and Instagram where people can come together and have shared values and discuss what is going on.”
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