How it Started:
As part of my Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology at Adler University, I was required to complete a 150 hour Social Justice Practicum. Unexpectedly, my practicum involved a lot of online creation, and in a sense, I felt like I was trying to be an influencer for 150 hours.
When I now look back at my practicum, I routinely question where the “social justice” aspect comes into play. I am using pricey editing software, longing for better camera equipment, all in the comfort of my own home, in efforts to produce better quality videos to stand out amongst videos produced by more expensive and sophisticated devices.
The Stress from Technology
We are gifted with amazing pieces of technology for connection, information gathering and sharing, and yet our privilege is what is causing us stress.
We take our ease of information for granted and ignore the potentially catastrophic effects of endless creation until it is too much to bear.
I started my practicum with hope and excitement around creating reliable and regulated psychoeducation in hopes to raise mental health awareness even further.
I was given the freedom to tackle relatable questions, (like what constant texting could do to my relationships) and share it on a wider scale. While the opportunity to be creative was a nice outlet for my highly academic life, I also found this constant push for consistency and creation to be mentally and physically draining.
Influencer Health
I read time and time again that the key to online success is consistency. When I am with my device at every moment, even beside it when I sleep, I question when I can offer myself a break from this urge to be “consistent.”
My “Influencer” Hope
This battle all comes with a realization and passion to change the landscape of the online world to one that is more healing, supportive, and offers reliable resources. I hope that any type of online presence I have, can offer a piece of relatable or normalizing information to a person feeling lost or alone, searching the web for some type of comfort or connection. I understand the ease and draw of this pursuit online, because I have been this person many times myself.
My generation has highlighted to me the growing evidence of freedom to create. The internet has become a playground of exploration, sharing, and creativity. I am excited by its endless bounds, and also burdened by its constant pull on my mental health. As I visit this “playground” in which I call the internet, I hope to keep myself safe by staying mindful and grounded with my reasons behind my creation.
The internet can offer solace, or it can create more suffering. I would like to be responsible for being a channel of solace to whoever feels lost, alone, or can’t find the means to access mental health support in person. I am honoured if my words, whether written in a blog, or spoken in a YouTube video can encourage someone to seek help if they need it or feel less distraught in a complicated tangle of emotions. I feel assured that my work can live on the internet for as long as I’d like, potentially impacting anyone in the world or providing leverage for greater change, and this is what I see as a component of social justice.
Hey there!!
I'm Meredith MacKenzie, the founder of Parallel Wellness and a Registered Clinical Counsellor. Simply put, I love to talk about psychology, emotions and all the things that make us human. My goal for this blog is to share information, resources and a fresh perspective on what brings clients to our practice.
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