Depression is not something teens should hashtag. Many teens exaggerate their temporary feelings by labeling them with illnesses that are a serious issue and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

The year 2013 turned many old school trends, such as Doc Marten boots and high waisted pants into must-haves for teens; but it’s the romanticized teen despair that should’ve been left in the past. The ‘80s and ‘90s were loaded with teen flicks and grunge trends that glamorized adolescent struggles and this modern generation brought these into a melancholic light.

Today’s teens’ naive and melodramatic attitudes turn sadness into depression, nervousness into serious anxiety, moodiness into bipolar disorder and a sleepless night into insomnia. Instead of taking a healthy approach to curing these problems, many teenagers dwell excessively and let their peers know by posting about it on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr.

Anyone who is concerned about their mental well-being should turn away from the keyboard and instead turn towards someone who can help: a counselor, parent or even a professional on a mental health hotline. If students only seek help from fellow teenagers who don’t know how to handle the problem, it may not help diminish the already growing problem.

Although there are many teens who believe they have disorders, only 14-20 percent of mid-adolescents are actually diagnosed with mood disorders, according to the Child Mind Institute. Keeping this in mind, with no disrespect to those who possess an illness, teens who excessively complain and nonchalantly diagnose themselves need to learn the difference between a rough day or week and obtaining an actual mental illness.

Our generation needs to realize being so-called “damaged” isn’t a cool trend everyone should bandwagon. Teenagers who truly believe they may have a mental health illness should always seek professional help before consulting their followers for guidance or attention.