As the month of May comes to an end, it is important for us to remember that with it goes the final days of Mental Health Awareness Month. First established in 1949, its recognition serves as an anchor for those who suffer from mental illness and helps to diminish the stigma that has followed its diagnosis for decades. Though the observance of Mental Health Awareness Month has been around since the late 40s, only within the last decade or so did the media truly begin to acknowledge and promote mental health with the seriousness it deserves. But saying this doesn’t mean other platforms, such as television, haven’t tried to bring to light the hardships that pertain to dealing with mental illness. In fact, one TV show that showed it was ahead of its time by outwardly demonstrating examples of mental health and other important issues relating to young adults was Degrassi: The Next Generation. Having first premiered over twenty years ago, the show details the lives of the children attending Degrassi School and how they learn to navigate the transition from childhood to adulthood, all the while overcoming their own inner demons. Degrassi was not afraid to express the emotional and psychological difficulties of mental health channeled through addiction, suicide, anxiety, eating disorders, and more. Degrassi became a staple for the realistic portrayal of mental health in the younger generation, creating more awareness for young adults and helping them to understand the problems they face. Degrassi was one of the most popular television shows of its time and has since encouraged many other television shows–Euphoria, The Fosters, and Sex Education–to fully represent the image of mental health. As mental health becomes less stigmatized in society’s eyes, people have begun to open up about their own struggles as they are no longer afraid to hide due to scrutiny and fear of backlash. Celebrities such as Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, and Kristen Bell are just a few who have publicly spoken out about their own mental health, and since then, many more have followed in their footsteps. It took a while to get to the place we are today Not everyone has been able to communicate their struggle with mental health in time; Robin Williams, Marilyn Monroe, and Kurt Cobain to name a few. But with more media awareness hopefully, people will be able to acknowledge the signs early on in order to stop any more tragedies from occurring. It’s essential that Mental Health Awareness Month becomes a bigger focus for the state and legislature, especially with everything occurring right now in the world including new challenges faced by younger generations. Our world is still growing and we are learning from our past mistakes, but taking the initiative and acknowledging mental health is the first step to a better change.