Living in Los Angeles is a lot different than living in San Francisco. The culture here is so stereotypical, but you truly will not understand it until you meet the people that this place cultivates. I feel bad. There is such an image, lifestyle, and reputation you need to hold. However, I feel as though as bad as the culture LA gives off, people embrace it and are open with the issues that come as a result. Whereas San Francisco, nothing is talked about.
Referring back to my last post, it is so crazy that mental health is prevalent in so many people’s lives, yet it is not talked about. However, that is something that makes LA different, in a good way. Mental health issues are alive and growing in LA, particularly with body image issues, depression, and anxiety. This city is filled with beautiful models, actresses, and actors that are now deemed as role models or influencers. Everyone bases their looks off these “high and mighty” people, yet society does not realize probably more than half of them are just fake. I admit that coming to LA was challenging in finding the right people to surround myself with because people try to be these people, try so hard to fit in here, and be the best. However, the people that don’t fall into the trap of this culture do exist. But I feel as though LA is the place where social media directly correlates with mental health, which leads to LA’s openness of the issues they are having or had.
It is rare to go to a nice restaurant and not see someone looking nice, taking pictures of themselves or their food to “flex” where they are and who they are with. This is because these actions lead to the reputation of this person, and helps paint a picture of who they are to their followers. Everyone has the dream to be an icon, inspiration, or basis here to the people that follow them. With this system, it not only proves who you are, but also creates issues that I mentioned earlier. For example, posting a bikini picture can lead others to feel bad about themselves and create eating disorders. Posting who you are with can create FOMO or loneliness due to exclusion, or the realization that you really are alone and have no one to hang out with. These are such common occurrences, however, knowing these are the side effects of social media, people still partake in these actions.
These are known issues in LA though, and people know who is suffering with these issues because they are open about it. Going to therapy is normal here, having a conversation about how shitty your day was and that you cried is something normal to talk with your friends or family about in order to get through it, going to rehab is not frowned upon. I admire that no matter how messed up the culture is in LA, I respect that it is talked about, and people tackle their issues instead of brushing them under the rug. The world needs to work on compassion and kindness in order to create a more open society where people can talk about their feelings and the ways the way they tackle their issues is not judged.
