“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

To most people, this phrase is nothing more than an antiquated colloquialism. Some, however, may even find it to be empowering: putting mind over matter and beating those who come against you.

In a certain way, this phrase is true. Words, regarded entirely by themselves, do have not the power to cause harm. It is the context in which a word is situated that causes hurt, whether it be a slur uttered in a sneering tone or sarcasm lacing one’s voice when discussing what their victim holds near and dear.

Don’t worry: this is not yet another iteration of the same anti-bullying message that we have had drilled into our heads since elementary school. If you are unable to recognize that bullying is cruel and wrong at this point in your life, then you have far more important issues to attend to than increasing this website’s page views.

No, I am here to detail the often unintentional harm caused by the use of words regarding a specific topic: mental illness.

Not a day goes by that I do not hear some variation of the following: “This is so depressing,” “This makes me anxious,” “I’m so OCD”… The list goes on.

The problem does not lie in the mention of depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder alone, but rather that these conditions are typically being used as synonyms for their less severe counterparts: sadness, fear, and particularity. Thus, those who are actually suffering from these conditions bear witness to the belittlement of their genuine struggles. Worse yet is when those who are experiencing what might be symptoms of an underlying condition overhear these remarks and are discouraged from seeking the help that they need.

Of course, this light consideration of serious issues stretches far beyond the halls of North Allegheny. One of the many facets of so-called “millennial” culture is the use of dark humor to disguise the underlying feelings one might have regarding a subject. Some of the most widely spread content on social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram are sardonic memes, with “relatable” scenarios such as workplace annoyances or money struggles depicted as being solved with death.

On the YouTube side of things, web stars such as Logan Paul deem filming a suicide victim’s corpse while joking “What, you never stand next to a dead guy?” as suitable content for the world to see, facing no obvious repercussions for his actions and even gaining almost 400,000 subscribers after the incident.

While some of those behind this content may struggle with mental illness themselves and use this sort of humor as a coping method, such comedic content often ends up as viral fodder for the masses who take the jokes at face value and don’t stop to consider the emotional implications behind them.

So what is there to be done? Rather than attempting the Sisyphean task of removing this content from the public eye, it is far better to try to spread awareness about mental illness and share resources for those in need. As for everyday conversation, it is truly up to you regarding the words you say and the impact you wish for them to have on others.