Digital Self-Help Culture: How Social Media is Reshaping Psychological Discourse

Abstract

This chapter examines how social media has transformed psychological discourse from academic field to popular cultural phenomenon. Tracing the evolution from early self-help literature and TV psychotainment to digital platforms, it explores how psychological concepts migrated from clinical settings into everyday language through influencer culture and algorithmic amplification. Drawing on communication theories such as Framing, Parasocial Interaction, and Cultivation, the chapter analyzes how content creators package mental health content for viral reach. It examines the cultural impact of this shift, showing how terms like trauma or gaslighting enter mainstream use, while neoliberal values frame mental health as personal responsibility. Though social media democratizes access to psychological knowledge, it also spreads misinformation, simplification, and pseudoscience. The rise of conspirituality where wellness merges with conspiracy exemplifies these risks, pointing to the need for regulatory frameworks while preserving benefits in digital mental health discourse. © 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved.