1. Introduction
Anime is a form of Japanese animation that is widely consumed and influences youth, especially adolescents. It provides engaging narratives and relatable characters that adolescents want during their emotional and psychological development. Using quantitative and qualitative data, a comprehensive relationship between anime consumption and the mental health of young people is uncovered. Anime often explores mental health with depictions of depression, anxiety, and trauma, driving the vehicles for the viewers to feel a sense of empathy and understanding. This creates a unique ground for anime, which allows for benefits such as emotional intelligence, self-identity, and creativity, but it is also linked with increased anxiety, aggression, depression, and suicidal tendencies due to anime's promotion of violence, pornography, and social isolation. In the question of anime, screen time cannot be ignored. The increase in screen time due to anime may cause further risk of anxiety and depression, as well as encouraging a sedentary lifestyle. This study ultimately tries to paint a comprehensive picture of how anime affects adolescent mental health across the whole spectrum of psychological outcomes.
2. Methodology
A sample of 180 respondents aged 15-25 years old, with an even gender distribution (45% M, 55% F), was selected using snowball sampling. Data were collected via Google Forms, emails, in-person interviews, and questionnaires. Tools and techniques such as the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) are used to determine subjective and psychological well-being. The data are analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages) and inferential statistics (Pearson's correlation, t-tests).
3. Results and Discussion
Table 1 indicates a consensus of a moderate connection between anime and youth mental health. The findings found that a significant portion of the respondents felt a positive influence on their mental well-being, providing emotional comfort and community. However, there should be a push for careful monitoring of the content due to its significant potential involvement in the festering of negative effects. There is found to be no significant difference in mental health well-being between gender groups.
Table 1. Distribution of respondents based on the score of the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS), N=180
4. Conclusion
There is a predominantly positive trend of anime's influence on the mental well-being of the young. Anime has potential for being a supportive medium for mental health due to its ability to create emotional resilience and comfort. This study has limitations as it is conducted in a geographically concentrated area and uses self-reported data. Broader research on this topic would be required for more comprehensive conclusions. If you want to start anime but don't know where, I recommend you start watching Attack on Titan. It is one of the best stories that tackles emotional conflict, political structure, the concept of security, and so much more.
