Posed with the task of creating a four-minute podcast on a topic of choice, I have questioned if and how social media is an incubator for sociogenic illness. I propose potential mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon by comparing them to the analogy of an Ancient Greek myth; social media isolates people just like the mythical island of lotus eaters, and trivialisation and romanticisation create a facade around maladaptive behaviors as if they were an enchanted fruit. The project is built around research on mass social media-induced illness (MSMI), whereby large groups of people have presented with dramatized tic-like behaviors after exposure to a Youtuber with Tourette’s Syndrome. I extend these literature findings to encompass other cases of Eating Disorders and OCD-related disorders. Similar to how algorithms feed consumers trending content, people who conform to harmful behaviours because they are “popular” can foster a society where illness is the majority. The purpose of this podcast is to synthesize topics related to clinical psychology and the technocultural construct of social media to unravel the pernicious cancer that is MSMI. 

After reviewing a series of scholarly articles, I collaborated with a group to facilitate a class discussion on AI's relevancy to the field of psychology. We crafted questions that would help our classmates reflect on AI's clinical and educational applications, its longterm impact on our critical thinking and mental well-being, and its role in shaping a new cultural landscape for future generations.