The circumstances in which my generation have grown up have not been particularly conducive to great mental health. Going through the recession in 2008, where a lot of people were still pretty young seeing their families go through financial troubles they didn’t have before. COVID obviously caused a lot of issues. Online school. Just general political polarization and radicalization. Also, growing up on social media.

I do feel at times dependent on my phone. Even when I’m bored for a second, that’s what you go to. I realize it’s unhealthy when I’m doing it, but what else are you going to do? I feel like I can manage it to a certain extent. I went a week without my phone for the pre-orientation [first-year outdoor program] here and that was fine, so I think I’m able to manage it. Sleep is important. I like to run. Outdoor stuff is nice for me. So is music. I play violin with the Bach Society.

One thing that I’ve gotten more intentional about is saying no to things. It’s like a funny little ecosystem on campus with student organizations; it’s almost like a microcosm of the outside world. People start doing the jobs they want to do after college in college. They’re doing consulting, or they’re leading outdoor trips, or they’re running after-school programs And so it becomes this environment where there’s a lot of pressure to do those things — devote a ton of time to student organizations while also maintaining your classes. Especially on the student organization front, I’ve gotten better at saying: “This is a cool-ish opportunity, but it would also detract from me having time to get my homework done and sleep enough.”

On Instagram, people don’t really show, “Oh, I’m having a bad day today.” It makes it easier to feel bad about yourself and where you are, which creates a downward spiral. In a way, we have too much information today and it causes us to mentally not be doing so well.

My mom is from Zimbabwe and talking about mental health is not a big thing they do, and going to therapy is not very common and something you share with other people. That’s kind of the way I grew up and then when I went to high school, I saw it’s OK to talk about these things and a lot of times you’ll be better off after you talk about it, but it’s hard to become better if you can’t have that conversation.

Growing up in this environment versus how it was maybe 30 or 40 years ago is very different in terms of affording a house or getting a job. You see a lot more people moving in with their parents. It’s just a very different economic space that contributes to these problems. Social media is definitely a factor.

The idea that you have to impress — and there are so many people online that put up a fake narrative to impress — definitely contributes to the fact that kids my age, young adults, feel the need to have to conform. I think the only time I’ve had trouble with mental health is during the college application season. Applying to schools is definitely not the best. Overall, I think that I have made it a goal to get outside, like I am now, and find different hobbies that make me happy and balanced. All that’s really helped.

Social media is a huge contributor. Comparing yourself to others and seeing what goes on in others’ lives creates a false reality.

It’s funny: My mental health is better being in school now because going through the college application process and even younger years, in high school, you see people getting into these really great colleges and what they’re doing in high school — you’re comparing yourself and thinking, “What can I do to make myself better to be like them to get into these schools?” Once you get to graduation, you get to those places in life, you’re like “OK, looking back, I was doing my own thing and I ended up here too.” One of the great things about Harvard is the people, so I enjoy spending time with friends.

I see social media playing two different roles here. First, it’s being connected nonstop, 24/7. It never gives you any space to be by yourself or to think through your own thoughts, to take time to process emotions, process things that you have to do, because every time you have your phone on you, someone can reach you from wherever and whenever. Second, it’s always being subjected to look at what other people are doing and what other people’s lives consist of, and you can’t really focus on yourself and focus on improving yourself because all the time you’re seeing what other people are doing, and more often than not those aren’t accurate representations of how other people feel or what they’re doing. They are selective portrayals which give us the impression that those are lives that we should be living when even those people are not living those lives. I think this has a lot to do with where I’m from [Hawaii],

but the ocean and water give me peace. More often than not, I find myself just taking the T and going to the Seaport if I need to take a break or decompress. I go to the Seaport, whether it’s just to walk along the water or sit and listen to my music. Sometimes I even study there either with a friend or by myself, just go to a coffee shop by the water.

It’s hard to not compare yourself to other people. People are under a lot of stress now because there’s this pressure to get started early and start hustling early. Kids are not just playing anymore. I didn’t grow up exposed to mental health issues. I was raised to work hard and get a lot of fruit out of that. I think I’ve been lucky to handle the pressure, although there have definitely been times when it’s been hard. There’s a lot more focus on how much you as a person can produce — this utilitarian mindset that you’re worth your output — and that contributes to a lot of stress here. I’ve definitely felt that myself too.

I’m Christian, and I see the value of who I am in that way. My work is one thing, but it’s not who I am. I guess that’s what carries me through.

The Internet and social media have changed everything for our generation. Some of the things that we are experiencing now are a bit unprecedented. I’m uncommonly blessed with a very good family. When I do struggle with mental/emotional things, I feel as if I always have support at home to help me with that. I also do not tend to spend much time on social media because a lot of it is very visual and, for obvious reasons, that doesn’t appeal to me. Of course, there are blind people who do spend more time on social media than I do; I think it’s more of a personality preference thing. But in all honesty, I don’t think that I experience more negative emotion than I should or more positive emotion than I should. I think I’m in a relatively good mental health place. I’m certainly not in a place of homeostasis, but I think I’m able to grow where I am.