If "quarantine" has illuminated anything, it's that people (across age groups but particularly young ppl), don't know how to have healthy/nuanced convos about trauma. It's either you're oversharing & ruining posts, shaming others for doing it, suppressing it, romanticizing it,etc

None of these, imo, are healthy ways of talking about/dealing w/trauma. I know a lot of ppl have found community/solidarity online for traumatic experiences they didn't think many other people had experienced. And that's important and can be healthier than oversharing, etc.

On the flip, I also notice a lack of empathy & compassion in many Gen Z spaces. It's weird how distanced those who haven't experienced trauma are from those who have. And the reactions can be visceral when people do overshare/joke about trauma on a post not catered to that.

Twitter is often not a safe space for trauma survivors to talk about their stuff & since a lot of Gen Z is just now coming into the realization that they even experienced trauma to begin with, I can see the appeal of "trauma-dumping" when you feel like you don't have an outlet

I've had some really positive dialogue w/ ppl, but that only happened within spaces where I knew that kind of sharing would be welcomed. You run a risk w/in spaces that aren't like that (explicitly). And to me-- it's not worth the feeling of rejection that comes along with it.

Trauma (on a personal and communal level) can be ostracizing & it needs to be acknowledged with grace & care. Don't make yourself vulnerable in spaces that aren't going to be safe for you to unload in. If you're reading this: I love you & I see you. Isss gon be okay <3

*Also I don’t put all the blame on Gen Z, we’re doing the best we can with how we were raised!! But this is specifically talking about Gen Z cause I’m a part of it lol