The Broken Self – How Pop Psychology and Influencer Culture Are Making Health Harder
- Brainz Magazine
- Sep 15
- 9 min read
Written by Sandi James, Psychologist
Sandi James is a psychologist who finds ways to help people with individualised and person-centred care. She is also a PhD candidate in Australia. Her specialties include long-standing eating disorders, addiction, and trauma and she is researching the harms that can happen during treatment for mental health challenges.
The proliferation of pop psychology and the pervasive influence of social media have dramatically reshaped how we understand ourselves and our mental health. Once confined to therapeutic offices and academic journals, psychological concepts are now a part of our daily language, disseminated through viral videos, motivational posts, and self-help bestsellers. This mass dissemination of mental and physical wellness promises empowerment, offering “accessible” tools for self-improvement and an idealised and “easy” path to a better, happier life. However, beneath this veneer of positivity lies a more insidious effect. By oversimplifying complex human emotions and presenting unattainable standards of perfection, pop psychology and influencer culture can, paradoxically, lead to a profound sense of inadequacy and a deep-seated feeling of being fundamentally broken.
The main problem lies in the reductionism inherent in pop psychology. Complex and highly nuanced psychological theories are distilled into catchy, marketable soundbites that lack the context and depth of their origins. Terms like "toxic positivity," "love bombing," "gaslighting," “narcissism,” and "imposter syndrome" are thrown around with no regard for their clinical definitions or the harm these terms can cause. While this can increase awareness, it also trivialises genuine and highly complex mental health conditions. A person experiencing a normal range of frustration or sadness might be told they are being “toxic” or engaging in "toxic" behaviour, or that their feelings are a sign of a deep-seated flaw. This oversimplification turns the human experience into a series of easily “diagnosable” problems that can supposedly be fixed with a quick "hack" or a new mindset. The message is clear, if you are not happy, it is because you have not yet found the right mantra, the right routine, or the right "vibration." If you are not happy, slim, and active, it is because you are doing something “wrong” and need to “do this thing I am promoting or selling to be better.” This creates a crisis of personal responsibility, where normal struggles are framed as personal failures, and a sense of being broken becomes a natural consequence of not being able to "fix" oneself with a soundbite.
This illusion of a quick fix for every challenge or problem is exacerbated by the linear, ambitious narratives that dominate the self-help landscape. Pop psychology often presents a simple, step-by-step path to happiness, identify your trauma, heal your inner child, set boundaries, and manifest your ideal life. This linear progression suggests that once you have spent the money and done the "work," you will achieve a state of permanent happiness and peace. The reality, however, is that human healing and growth are messy, non-linear processes marked by setbacks and periods of stasis. A journey to healing requires connection and community, a journey we can’t effectively take on our own. When life inevitably presents challenges that a five-step plan cannot solve, or when emotional progress stalls, the individual is left feeling like they have failed. The curated, before-and-after stories of online gurus create an unrealistic expectation that leaves no room for the difficult, messy, and often unglamorous reality of personal growth. This pressure to constantly be "healing" or "improving" is exhausting and reinforces the belief that one is perpetually incomplete or inadequate.
Influencer culture takes this self-improvement pressure to a new, visually appealing, readily accessible, and often expensive extreme. The "influencer" persona is, by definition, an ideal, a curated and meticulously edited representation of a perfect life. From filtered selfies to meticulously planned travel posts and pristine home decor, influencers project a fantasy of perfection that is entirely unattainable. This constant exposure to highlight reels creates a relentless cycle of social comparison and a sense of personal failure. As we scroll through feeds, we are implicitly measuring our own messy reality, our unpaid bills, our imperfect bodies, our moments of quiet (or loud) despair, against an idealised fantasy. This comparison does not inspire, it depresses. It cultivates envy and fuels a profound sense of inadequacy, making us feel as though our lives, our bodies, and our very selves are not good enough. The feeling of being "broken" is not an illness to be healed, but an inadequacy to be hidden, a flaw that must be airbrushed and filtered away.
What makes this dynamic particularly harmful is its commercial foundation. The pop psychology and wellness industries are multi-billion-dollar enterprises that profit directly from our insecurities. The same platforms that expose us to unattainable standards are also the ones that sell us the products, courses, and books to "fix" ourselves. This creates a vicious cycle, we are made to feel bad so that we will buy something to feel good. Our misery is monetised, and our feelings of brokenness are a prerequisite for consumption. This commercialisation transforms authentic well-being into a commodity, a luxury item accessible only to those who can afford the right supplements, the perfect planner, or the expensive coaching program. This financial barrier adds another layer of inadequacy, suggesting that if you are not well, it may simply be because you are not wealthy enough to be so.
The pressure to perform a "well" or "healed" persona on social media further erodes our sense of self. The "self-care" trend, for example, has been co-opted and commodified, transforming from genuine acts of emotional maintenance into a performative aesthetic. A quiet evening of rest becomes a performative spectacle of bath bombs and face masks, shared online for validation. This external pressure to appear as though one is "doing the work" can mask genuine suffering and prevent people from seeking real help. The curated facade of a perfect life leaves no room for vulnerability or imperfection. We learn to hide our true struggles and present a polished self to the world, creating a profound sense of isolation and a disconnection from our authentic emotions and our vulnerable and imperfect selves. This performance becomes so ingrained that it can feel as though our true selves are indeed broken and unworthy of being seen, causing shame and increased mental health difficulties.
Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of this culture is the rise of self-diagnosis and the trivialization of clinical conditions. TikTok and Instagram are rife with videos from uncertified creators who offer simplified checklists for complex disorders like ADHD, autism, or bipolar disorder. While this content can be a starting point for some to explore their identity, it often leads to a widespread misapplication of clinical terms. This not only trivializes the experiences of those with confirmed diagnoses but also discourages people from seeking the professional help they truly need. Believing a quick online quiz can provide a diagnosis, individuals may avoid the difficult and sometimes costly process of professional therapy. This oversimplified approach to mental health leads to a fragmented and superficial understanding of one's own struggles, leaving the root causes unaddressed, effective professional treatment deemed unnecessary, and reinforcing the feeling that one is a flawed puzzle with missing pieces.
Navigating social media and claiming a healthy sense of self
Given the pervasive and often damaging nature of the digital landscape, it is imperative to develop a conscious and deliberate strategy for navigating its challenges. A simple digital detox is often not a sustainable solution, instead, the key lies in cultivating habits that foster authentic well-being rather than a performative or commodified version of it. Reclaiming a healthy sense of self requires a shift in perspective, moving away from a consumerist approach to self and embracing the nuanced, imperfect reality of being human.
Cultivate critical and intentional media literacy
The first step is to become a critical and discerning consumer of digital content. Rather than passively absorbing information, actively question its source, intent, evidence, and message. When engaging with self-help content, ask yourself, Is this information oversimplified? Is it attempting to sell me a product or service? Does it pathologize normal human emotions or experiences? By developing a critical lens, you can filter out content that is designed to create insecurity and seek out reputable sources, such as licensed therapists, accredited mental health organizations, and academic institutions. This conscious effort to differentiate between genuine psychological insight and commercialized content is crucial for protecting your mental landscape. It also involves recognizing the curated nature of social media feeds. The "perfect" lives and aesthetically pleasing moments are not a complete picture of anyone's reality. By consistently reminding yourself that what you see online is only the highlight reels, you can begin to neutralize the power of social comparison.
Prioritize authentic professional guidance
While pop psychology can offer an accessible introduction to mental health topics, it is no substitute for professional help. A therapist or counsellor provides personalized, evidence-based care tailored to your specific needs and history. Unlike a one-size-fits-all online program, therapy offers a safe, confidential space to explore complex emotions without judgment. It is a relationship built on trust and expertise, designed to facilitate deep, lasting change rather than temporary fixes. Recognizing the limitations of self-help and the invaluable role of professional support is one of the most significant steps toward authentic healing. It reframes the search for wellness from a solitary, consumer-driven task to a collaborative and guided journey, and it helps to undo the feeling of being "broken" because it validates that your struggles are real and deserving of professional attention, not quick-fix solutions.
If you are experiencing financial challenges, seek out a clinician with sliding-scale options or pro-bono offerings such as therapy or support groups facilitated by a licensed therapist. Many clinicians also offer scholarships for attendance at group programs, and non-government services can provide affordable options.
Embrace imperfection and non-linearity
The linear or one-directional narrative of self-improvement is a myth. Authentic personal growth is a messy, challenging, inconsistent, circular process. There will be days of progress and days of setbacks, moments of clarity and moments of confusion. Instead of viewing these challenges as failures, learn to see them as a natural part of the journey. Acknowledging that you are not a project to be completed or a problem to be solved can be incredibly liberating. This involves practicing self-compassion, treating yourself with the same kindness and understanding you would offer a friend. By letting go of the need for perfection and embracing the messiness of being human, you can free yourself from the exhausting cycle of performance and inadequacy. This shift in mindset counters the very foundation of pop psychology's "quick fix" promise, replacing it with a more sustainable and compassionate approach to living your own life.
Finding authentic connection
The intentionally curated “connections” of social media are a poor substitute for real, vulnerable relationships. The performative nature of social media posts and reels often leaves us feeling more isolated than connected. To counter this, make a conscious effort to foster genuine relationships in your life. This means having face-to-face conversations, going to cafés and being around other people, sharing your struggles with trusted people without filtering, and supporting others in their own journeys. Authentic connection provides a sense of belonging and validates your true self, imperfections and all. When you can be vulnerable with others and receive empathy in return, it dismantles the notion that you are fundamentally flawed or broken. This real-world support network serves as a powerful antidote to the isolation and social comparison that social media cultivates.
Building a stronger sense of value and self-worth
One of the most powerful tools for combating this culture is to cultivate your own self-worth. In a world that constantly tells us we are too much or not enough, it is a revolutionary act to decide that you are. Your worth is not determined by the number of likes on your posts, your career achievements, your physical appearance, or your ability to perfectly execute a self-care routine. It is an intrinsic, unwavering quality that has nothing to do with external validation or productivity. By consciously detaching your value from these external metrics, you dismantle the very foundation of the commercialized wellness industry. The feeling of "brokenness" is a symptom of believing that your worth is conditional. By choosing to believe in your own inherent value, you make it impossible to be "fixed," because you were never broken in the first place.
While the intentions of pop psychology and influencer culture may be to empower and inform, their combined effect is a complex and damaging paradox. By reducing human emotion to simple labels, by presenting linear paths to an idealized state of being, and by commodifying the very concept of wellness, these phenomena create a constant, low-grade hum of inadequacy. We are left feeling as though we are not good enough, not doing enough, and not living up to an impossible ideal. This pervasive sense of not measuring up, of being fundamentally broken, is the unintended but inevitable consequence of a culture that sells happiness as a product and views the human experience as a problem to be solved. To reclaim our well-being, we must learn to be critical consumers of these messages, embrace the messy, imperfect reality of our lives, and recognize that our inherent worth is not contingent on our ability to conform to a perfectly curated ideal. We are not broken, we are human, and that is more than enough.
Read more from Sandi James
Sandi James, Psychologist
Sandi James is a psychologist who finds ways to help people with individualised and person-centred care. She is also a PhD candidate in Australia. Her specialties include long-standing eating disorders, addiction, and trauma. She is currently doing her PhD researching harms and adverse events that can happen during treatment for mental health challenges.
