When I first saw Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade in theaters, it was an *experience.* I was 25, more than 10 years older than Kayla, the main character. But it didn’t matter. Watching her was like looking in a mirror. I had never seen my experience with social anxiety so accurately represented on screen before.
I wish I had this movie when I was younger. Growing up, I didn’t know anyone else who struggled with anxiety the way I did, and if I had seen Eighth Grade when I was 13, I probably wouldn’t have felt like such an outsider.
Seeing yourself on screen is important. It can make you feel more accepted, help you better understand yourself, and also allow audiences a chance to see things from a different perspective.
So I want to hear about when you first saw yourself represented on screen.
Maybe, like me, you saw a character with a similar mental illness as you, and it made you feel like there were other people out there who finally understood you.
Or maybe you saw someone that physically looked like you, and it made you feel seen in a way that you hadn't before.
Perhaps you finally saw someone whose entire experience matched yours, and it made you feel like you weren't a complete weirdo.
Or maybe you shared the same goals or dreams as a character, and it gave you some much-needed motivation.
