by David

One of the aspects that interests me about story-telling media is the variety of lenses that any given work can be examined through. Conversations such as if a story is ‘objectively’ well-written, subjectively enjoyable to an individual, or contains content that is socially problematic may be interconnected, but they are fundamentally drawing from different pools of knowledge in their analyses. Whether an individual has a distaste for a specific genre does not sway discussions around the quality of a film, in the same way that conversations about a story’s social implications are relatively unconcerned with the technical mastery a work may possess. 

One aspect of media that I feel is overlooked is its ability to positively affect one’s mental wellness. For the sake of this article, mental well-being refers to the capacity of an individual to think, feel, and connect with themselves and the external world in a resilient and a personally satisfying way.  

While the question of if a person’s mental wellness is bolstered by a piece of media appears to overlap with the question of whether they like that media, I see them as being meaningfully distinct. From my perspective, enjoying and being entertained by a story is more of a passive act. Comedic banter, satisfying fight scenes, and a beautifully designed world all land for an audience member automatically, assuming they align with their subjective tastes. Here, a medium is acting upon the person. 

In contrast, the ability of a work to be engaged with in a manner that results in processes such as reflection and inspiration, maybe even having a therapeutic effect, is an active process performed by an individual audience member. This can be observed in non-fiction works, such as how documentaries about global issues can cause people to evaluate the extent to which they are contributing to the problem. However, works of fiction have just as much, if not more, potential to resonate with an audience member in this way. Whether it’s by examining a pertinent theme, providing the language to clarify and communicate one’s thoughts and experiences, or simply seeing a familiar situation through the foreign eyes of the storyteller—media has the ability to influence how we feel about ourselves and perceive the world around us. 

I thought it would be helpful to ask some friends about the ways they have interacted with media recently that has influenced their broader mood, outlook, or overall well-being. Here are some of the responses I got. 

Escapism

One of my friends had recently recommended I watch the video “The Answer is Not a Hut in the Woods” by exurb2a due to its strong analysis on the theme of escapism. He comments: 

“I’ve wondered before about leaving it all behind and running away. It’s no doubt a common desire, given how many stories we have where a protagonist is forced to leave their home and go on some grand adventure. It’s valuable to have a video like this, a man telling you the result of giving into his escapist fantasy. He turns his own life into a narrative, so we can over the course of 45 minutes catch a glimpse of the experience he had and what it taught him. I love art and writing so much for that, its ability to give other people a taste of something they couldn’t otherwise experience.” 

I ended up feeling a similar way after hearing this narration. The author effectively uses comedy and pacing to make the passive experience of watching an enjoyable one. However, I would argue that it is the themes addressed by the work that particularly made it resonate with me and my friend.

As he mentions, he has on some level humoured the idea of escaping to another life from time to time. I am just as guilty of doing this, as well. As a result, the experience of watching this video ended up fostering an active process of reflection, in addition to the passive process of enjoying it. By presenting the familiar premise of ‘running away’ from the new perspective of an individual who had greatly leaned into it, this video acted as a catalyst in changing the way we understood ourselves in the context of this desire. Therefore, a large part of this narrative’s value is not only caused by how it told its story, but also by how we as audience members subjectively experienced and interacted with it. My friend ultimately recommended this piece of media because he assessed its ability to foster one’s personal growth as intrinsically being ‘valuable’. 

Burnout

(Friend’s song recommendation: Supercut by Lorde)

Another friend spoke about her experience of creating a playlist during a stressful situation, which ended up having a positive effect on her mental health: 

“Whenever I find myself at a crossroads with emotions I can’t externalize with words, I find making a playlist helps me connect to and understand my feelings and be more in touch with myself. It also helps me feel productive in times I feel I have emotional burnout.” 

This process of interacting with media is different than the previous ones examined as it is not centered around a single work, but rather the creation of a collection of songs. For this reason, I think it helps to highlight the difference between liking a piece of music and engaging with the pieces in a way that bolsters once mental well-being.

As my friend explains, she is able to use the process of creating a playlist as a means of checking in with herself and recovering from emotional burnout. Hearing unexpectedly relevant lyrics can help one better explain a situation or experience that they otherwise don’t have words for. Similarly, finding common themes between the selected songs can provide a sense of clarity to one’s situation. When combined, these attributes can make the process of intentionally creating a playlist with the purpose of self-reflection have a therapeutic affect—helping the listener feel more productive and personally satisfied with a troubling situation.  

I find that working through slumps without a clear cause can sometimes be an isolating experience. As engaging with media (such as through making a playlist) can allow me to gain a better understanding of what’s causing me to feel burnt-out and reinforce the sense that other people have had and continue to have similar struggles, the process has the power to improve one’s mental well-being. As such, I would really love it if the ways stories can help to medicate these types of transformations occur were more widely discussed. 

Conclusion

Stories have the ability to resonate with us in a way that other forms of communication may struggle to replicate. At least to me, being given a rational argument about why escapism is bad does not strike nearly the same chord as hearing a story about a person’s changing relationship with escapism that shows rather than tells its morals. Media has a distinct value in its ability to foster reflection, inspiration, and ultimately a heightened sense of well-being. Therefore, I think it would be equally productive and enjoyable if discussions around how a story may have shifted the way an audience member thinks or what parts of the narrative resonated with them on a personal level occurred as frequently as whether the story is objectively ‘good’.

If any media has recently resonated with you in such a way, let us know about it in the comments!