‘Framing Britney Spears’: the demonisation of mental health
Illustrations by Megan Le Brocq The recently released Framing Britney Spears documentary has provided a powerful insight into the life of the popstar, but also raises questions over how such a…
‘Perfect’ skin is the province of the privileged
Social media will never override our need for physical company
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson Over the past decade we have witnessed increasing debate and fear about the impact of social media and technology on society. Television shows such as Humans, Years…
The COVID-19 generation: what will the pandemic mean for our futures?
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson As the much feared second wave of COVID-19 begins to materialise, the government has been desperate to find a new place to point its finger. It seems…
The women we grew up watching: muses, fantasies and troubled
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson Over lockdown I found myself slowly returning to the TV shows and films that many of us grew up with. This time round, I began to see…
Boris wants calories everywhere – but at what cost?
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson Boris Johnson is calling for the country to lose weight together, suggesting that this would help combat a possible second wave of COVID-19. A large part of…
Lockdown’s wellness craze might be better left in lockdown
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson The domestic stasis of lockdown has for many ignited a new zeal for wellness. Whether it’s baking, walking or running, taking up arts and crafts or spending…
Prison Labour: the untold truth
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson Over the last few weeks, we have seen that the Black Lives Matter movement has hugely increased momentum and support. The ongoing protests, which were majority peaceful,…
Love Island has gone on sabbatical, but should it ever return?
It seems the summer of 2020 will be spent at home. With the majority of the British population confined to one time zone perhaps Love Island 2020 would have been…
COVID-19 has brought the resurgence of the bike
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson Bikes are in and cars are out. This seems to be the new motto echoing through government at the moment that can only be good news for…
COVID-19, mental health and the view from the GDR
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson Since lockdown was announced, our world has grown smaller and our attention has shifted inwards to focus on the bare foundations. For many, this sudden refocusing has…
The “new normal” – there’s no returning to the old
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson What will we keep of this lockdown experience? “And I asked myself about the present: how wide it was, how deep it was, how much was mine…
Isolating alone is not the romance that was sold to us
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson When the UK was plunged into lockdown two months ago we were forced to alter our relationships; with those we live with and those we do not….
We must save lives – by lifting restrictions
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, there have been suggestions that a new “profound culture war” is erupting; pitting your money against your life; or at least somebody’s life….
Normal People can open the conversation on men’s mental health
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson ‘Normal People’ is the latest hit drama of lockdown, and after watching it I can understand why. Through a compelling and authentic storyline, the two lead actors,…
We’ve never been in the same boat, COVID-19 won’t change that
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson I’m fed up of people saying things like ‘we’re all in the same boat’; COVID-19 has not suddenly caused inequalities to disappear. We have never been in…
Why does the end of lockdown seem as daunting as lockdown itself?
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson There are many reasons to look forward to the return of normalcy. The idea of being hemmed in around a pub table amongst my friends, elbows jostling,…
Technology can benefit our mental health during COVID-19
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson The infectious pandemic has been a testing time for humanity and has affected individuals in ways scarily imaginable just four months ago. From increased loneliness due to…
Can we find some hope during this pandemic?
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson. These are uncertain times. This is probably the first time that young people, myself included, feel that we have no idea what the future holds. We weren’t…
Love, virtually: A defence of online dating in time of COVID-19
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson In a culture of prolonged separation, where the prospects of seeing those closest to our hearts remain indefinite, people are showcasing creative ways of coming together –…
Covid-19 brings another pandemic: domestic abuse
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson Following restrictions on movement in order to try and reduce the impact of Covid-19, people across the world are currently stuck at home. Being confined at home…
Is new “Zen” consumerism cultural appropriation?
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson In this unprecedented climate, an interesting symptom is the rise in self-help products and trends including tidying, skincare, remodelling and fitness; all, by my books, great things….
Could coronavirus change our education system for the better?
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson As schools closed to delay the spread of coronavirus, students, teachers, and politicians have been left “scared and anxious”. Beyond education, schools are vital spaces of stability…
Blasé attitudes will make coronavirus much worse
Illustration by Hannah Robinson Students pride themselves as being at the cutting edge of social change and ‘making the world a better place’. Abundant evidence of this can be found all…
Small tips to help with the stress of Covid-19
Illustration by Hannah Robinson You probably feel the same way. Uncertain about the future, anxious about your health and gutted about having to abandon any sense of normality. The outbreak of…
Working-class students need support that we aren’t getting
Illustration by Hannah Robinson Universities are complex places for a lot of minority students. The University of Edinburgh’s student union has minority officers in attempt to combat the struggles faced, though…
The perils of online dating
Dating is hard, in 2020. We live in a hectic world, always busy with updating our status (online and offline), working also when we are resting, monitoring our online reputation…
The rise of male eating disorders
Illustration by Hannah Robinson Why we need emancipation from rigid codes of beauty and gender. The always-hungry beast: the rise of male eating disorders and why we need emancipation from rigid…
Joker and the misrepresentation of mental disorders
Illustration by Hannah Robinson Joker, every edgy boy’s new favourite film, opened this weekend to polarising reviews. Some critics praised the gritty look into the origins of everyone’s favourite psychotic…
The new Home Secretary: tough on crime, weak on drugs
The new Home Secretary has defiantly stated that she wants criminals “to literally feel terror at the thought of committing offences”. 20,000 new police officers have been promised, new powers…
Iran are using dual nationals as political pawns, and we are letting them
Nine months ago, I wrote about British-Iranian dual national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe being falsely imprisoned in Iran; this week, she has been moved from her cell to a psychiatric ward. Nazanin…
Psychosis still exists in a heavily stigmatised dialogue
Social media has contributed massively to improving our awareness of mental health. The government are on board with anti-stigma campaigns and mental health awareness week, which draw our attention to…
‘You’re overthinking’ is often used derogatorily
We have all been on the receiving end of a text or comment that leaves us thinking, ‘wait, what?’. The ensuing internal dialogue of ‘what did that actually mean, why…
The media must be held accountable for damaging narratives
Mental Health Awareness is something that our generation has really taken hold of and put to the forefront of the change we want to see in society. We are at…
Stoicism is the solution, not cause, of toxic masculinity
The relationship between men and their emotions is an often discussed yet broadly defined subject. ‘Toxic masculinity’, a concept becoming ever more present in political, social, and artistic culture, often…
A 21st century ghost story: reply to your messages
No instalment of Paranormal Activity ever held a candle to the fear that accompanies the millennial social norm of ghosting. Whether you have ghosted, suffered the pain of being a…
Where is the problem with children and screen time?
There is little evidence to back the theory that excessive screen-time could slow brain development, and prevent sufficient sleep in children, and I am becoming increasingly aware of the reasons…
Veganism can be a disguise for eating disorders
You may already know that I am vegan. I have written a few articles about the movement, openly praising and promoting the rejection of animal products on moral, environmental and…
If you can, choose your own signs
I’ve always been quite a symbol-orientated person (which kind of sounds like I just love a good asterisk). When I was smaller and a bit more mad, I used to…
Apps that ‘improve’ mental health are depressingly ironic
It is a great concept in theory. Smartphones and apps have revolutionised every aspect of our daily lives; from expert-level advice to professional-quality photographs, it seemed natural that they might…
Does the self-help industry help or hinder mental health treatment worldwide?
When researching the self-help industry and its authenticity in treating those with mental health problems world-wide, there are countless publications online discrediting the industry as ‘wasting your money and time’…
Why does happiness always feel like a test?
Bridget Jones said many invaluable words of wisdom in her time, my personal favourite being ‘I was so stupid I didn’t mean what I meant.’ But another of her best…
Social media: the shit-show we can’t stop buying tickets to
Whilst scrolling mindlessly through Instagram, I came across a quote by Nayyirah Waheed which stopped me in my tracks. “Would you still want to travel to that country if you…
A Star is Born makes a statement about male mental health
After the unveiling of a statue to fellow lost rock god Chris Cornell in Seattle last week and following a summer of the #ItsOkayToNotBeOkay movement, momentum is finally picking up…
We need to stop trivialising mental illness
This week, instead of commenting on something I’ve read in the news or a global issue I feel passionate about I thought I would write about something more personal. For…
The need for hygge during times of militant politics
During the last few weeks, the everlasting chore of wearying news manages to bring around an aura of despair that we all feel. This last week alone has brought the…
Our response to mental health can, and must, improve
Among the latest news, one topic that has particularly stood out recently is that of mental illness and drug addiction. In the last few years, there have been outcries on…
Trauma is inevitable, but your response to it isn’t
Now that we’ve hit our early twenties, most of us are carrying some emotional baggage around. Some of it is heavier than others, but you’re incredibly lucky if you’ve managed…
Don’t blame Ariana Grande for Mac Miller’s death
On Friday, news broke that Mac Miller had died of a suspected overdose in his California home. As his peers, such as Chance the Rapper and Kehlani, mourned him, fans…
Stop saying you’ve got mental health problems if you don’t
Sometimes it’s difficult to pinpoint the source of a feeling: am I having a bad week? Is it the hormones in my contraception? Am I suffering from a mental health…
Male Suicide: the killer that dare not speak its name
Every two hours, a man in Britain kills himself. Last week, this statistic became a cruel reality. As some readers may know, a beloved student at the University of Edinburgh…
Addiction is an illness, not a choice
The response to Demi Lovato’s apparent addiction relapse has been dramatically polarised.On one side, people are eager to support those with addiction just as they would like to be open…
Mental health affects everyone, even Ariana Grande
Upon hearing a celebrity with a current net worth of $35 million talk of their struggles with mental health problems, you can be forgiven for rolling your eyes slightly. After all,…
Mentioning Down Syndrome is a dirty pro-life tactic
As the Irish referendum looms, more and more dirty tactics have emerged from the pro-life camp. With the aim of persuading the country to vote against repealing the 8th amendment,…
Friendship is vital for your mental health, regardless of gender
Intimate female relationships are absolutely central to the lives of countless women, and yet there has never been a point where we have felt the need to assert our own…