Student Presenter(s): Nicole Ziminski, Raul Castillo-Leon, and Alexandra Ortiz
Faculty Mentor: Melissa Huey
School/College: Arts and Sciences, Manhattan

With the continuous growth of technology and social media, there is also a steady trend of increased mental health diagnosis in society. Social media has allowed mental health to be “glamorized,” and therefore people are often desensitized to the seriousness of mental illness. This study aims to look at the desensitization levels of mental health in a pre- and post-survey design, after viewing internet clips and posts that ‘glamorize’ mental health. Surveys will be administered to students at New York Tech, where they will be asked questions about the sensitization of mental illness. The results of this study will highlight whether the ‘glamorization’ of mental illness online leads to higher desensitization. We hope the results can inform educators and policymakers about the negative effects of posting things that make light of mental illness and encourage individuals to take mental illness seriously.