Think of the most recognizable faces of the last twenty years in not only the entertainment industry but also society in general. Chances are, the Kardashian and Jenner families come to mind. With their landmark reality series Keeping Up With The Kardashians ruling the E! airwaves and having its place cemented in multiple forms of culture; The Kardashian and Jenner sisters are, without a doubt, one of the leading components in the curation of industries ranging from wellness to beauty markets, in the modern era.
The level of fame each member of the family faces, (and to a lesser extent, many of the secondary 'characters' the show features, ranging from personal assistants to party planners), can exceed anyone's personal comfort level regardless of their level of fame. To an outsider, the 'Kar-Jenner' family may have a variety of people and materials on hand to assist them through overwhelming moments, or one may think the family may ignore or collectively lack any internal concept of anxiety or fear. Since Keeping Up With The Kardashians' premiered in 2007, media has painted a picture of Kim, Khloe, Kourtney, and their stepsiblings Kylie and Kendall Jenner, resulting in a narrative curated with the help of seemingly endless social media and miscellaneous media coverage on the internet.
When the cameras stop rolling and every last KUWTK producer goes home for the night, the make-up comes off, and authenticity sets in for the family. Much of the world's perception of the Kar-Jenners is derived from what fans and foes alike, witness on television. However, Kendall Jenner recently made an extremely personal decision to come forward and share society's curated narrative of her and her family is largely false.
Who Is Kendall Jenner, Really?
We see the eldest Jenner sister wear many hats. We see Kendall lending her gorgeous looks to modeling campaigns, as an entrepreneur of a tequila line, as a sister, and a friend. What about Kendall as a person? Who is she when she isn't inspiring hit pop songs by a certain Mr. Styles, or being the cool aunt to her sisters' children?
Jenner recently sat down for a candid interview with Vogue Magazine's intriguing interview series wherein the legendary publication sits down with some of pop culture's most recognizable faces and showcases an intimate portrait of what life is really like off-camera. Oftentimes the celebrities are brought in to discuss a specific topic that is quite relatable, which can offer fans and viewers an inside look into the guest's personal life, providing a glimpse that perhaps magazines and other media outlets rarely cover.
In Jenner's interview with Vogue, she sat down with both clinical psychologist Dr. Ramani Durvasula, and Dr. Jorge Partida, who is certified in a number of mental health sectors. With Dr. Durvasula, Jenner broke down her experience with anxiety, sharing the ways in which the disorder affects her everyday life. With Dr. Partida, Jenner shared a behind-the-scenes look at social media's impact on her extremely online life.
When Jenner was asked about her relationship with social media as it relates to anxiety, she laughed a little and responded, "When I think about social media and anxiety, I mean, holy moly, that's a loaded question!" Analyzing the last few years in Jenner's career as it relates to social media, it is understandable she would be experiencing this type of reaction; Jenner has experienced a range of backlash in recent years, ranging from her infamous Pepsi commercial, which was meant to be a commentary on social justice, to recent criticism over Jenner's 818 Tequila's ad campaign.
It may feel like a gigantically popular celebrity like Jenner does not see the comments on the other side of the screen, but she is acutely aware of the conversation surrounding many of her endeavors. Despite her aesthetically pleasing Instagram feed and her Twitter feed where she frequently interacts with fans, Jenner candidly shared she feels "Detached from my own body to what's happening right in front of [her]," while spending time scrolling through her timeline.
What makes Jenner completely stops scrolling and potentially enter into a negative headspace is after she notices what she identifies as her biggest anxiety-related trigger: The amount of negativity she witnesses on social media. Negative commentary often surrounds Jenner, herself. Being as famous as Jenner is, she is frequently susceptible to being frequently scrutinized. She revealed the negative feedback she receives is along the lines of "You're setting a bad example, or 'This is horrible, I wouldn't want my kid to see this..."
Luckily Jenner's blood pressure isn't always high. She has found relief over her relationship with social media which she describes as being "A bit addictive right now" because she is not alone in her social media habits or feelings. She closes out the interview by stating how validating it feels in "Hearing it from a professional I am not the only one dealing with these thoughts or emotions and how invasive it feels like in my life, but it's good to be aware of it all, and it's good to talk about it and kind of let it out and now you can be aware, process, and hopefully move forward."
The process of Kendall Jenner moving forward will also be documented via a new Hulu series later this year, via Deadline! Cheers to watching her sprout and flourish!