At a café in Cairo, a casual conversation between friends takes an unexpected turn. Someone says a comment was “triggering.” Another explains a breakup as the result of “toxic behavior.” A third talks about “setting boundaries.” None of them are therapists, yet the language sounds familiar, almost routine. For many young people, particularly in higher- and upper-middle-class circles, therapy vocabulary has become the easiest way to explain emotions and relationships. Words that once belonged to private sessions now sit comfortably in everyday conversation, shaping how disagreements, hurt, and conflict are understood. A Language Shaped Online This shift did not start in therapy rooms. It started online. On TikTok, emotional experiences are often flattened into quick explanations. A strained friendship becomes a lesson about boundaries. A tense relationship with a parent is reframed as emotional unavailability. A breakup is explained through attachment styles. According to a 2022 study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, most mental health content on TikTok is created by non-professionals and presents psychological concepts in simplified, highly relatable ways rather than clinical terms. The study found that complex experiences are often reduced to easily recognisable…
