In the digital age of non-stop media consumption, the fear of missing out, and increasingly shocking expectations, have caused younger generations constant anxiety and stress. The internet is an infinite source of value and opportunity. Still, it can easily overwhelm young people, especially during primary growth and development. In the case of Jordyn Mannino, her situation was similar to those in the same peer group. Still, she discovered a realization that helped her escape this matrix of involvement and restlessness. As Mannino wraps up her final year of college online, an exciting career as a social media influencer awaits her, but how did she get there, and what helped her reach this journey? Instead of searching for external solutions to ease her anxiety, she sought inner peace and prioritized mental health awareness over everything.
Mannino grew up on Long Island, NY, where she enjoyed a modest upbringing. Like most young adults, the overnight nightmare cast by our recent worldwide pandemic took a toll on Mannino. It spiraled her into a depressive state where she suffered from anxiety. The pandemic caused 1 in 4 young adults and teenagers (25%) to experience depression. As a result, social media became a widespread coping mechanism to help ease the dormant social climate. However, instead of succumbing to the recently notorious “doom-scrolling” phenomena, Mannino used social media as a channel to express the troubles she experienced and connect with others. Platforms such as Tik-Tok and Instagram helped Mannino reach people when she struggled to find support. Inspired by the viral content that changed people’s lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mannino began posting content regularly. Doing so helped her foster a community that helped her deal with anxiety and set up the foundation for a future in which she can support herself.
College was the first plan for the young influencer, and it still is despite gaining some traction in her social media career. Mannino originally majored in criminal justice and psychology but switched to PR and Communications. The choice to switch majors is a direct result of her success thus far, and Mannino plans on using social media to catapult her career into her own unique path. One of Mannino’s primary interests is fashion, an interest which she further developed after landing a position at a clothing boutique in this field. There, Mannino continued to grow in her content creation skills as she began to manage the company’s TikTok account. She saw early success, which motivated her to leap into professional content creation. From the close-knit collegiate environment to the competitive social media landscape, Mannino discovered her career passion in a seemingly linear fashion. She credits her growth trajectory to a personal mantra, “everything happens for a reason,” which is crucial to her. Mannino commissioned a tattoo for the inspirational mantra and has created a dedicated merch line with items, including sweatshirts. In a time when life felt bleak for millions across the globe, social media has become a vessel of contentment. Mannino focused on the state of her mental health, which has provided deep introspection and a path to prosperity.
Today, Mannino works full-time on social media while completing an online degree. Her social media presence has evolved into a jack of all trades regarding personal wellness, where she creates unique content centered around lifestyle, beauty, and skincare. Despite having a loaded schedule, Mannino insists on managing her work efforts. She’s always been a hard worker and is keen on integrating her work ethic into her involvement in the industry. Mental health awareness was the vehicle that brought Mannino to her current destination. Now, she can work in the entrepreneurial community and support others who might’ve experienced similar situations. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable is a challenging task. Still, it enables you to discover deep insights about problems like anxiety or depression. Through vulnerability, Mannino could openly discuss sensitive topics with her audience and have deep conversations with the intent to heal and maintain a healthy mental state. Mental health awareness should be practiced for all ages, especially in our current environment. It can unlock certain parts of our psyche that solve persistent issues or obstacles in life. Meditation, journaling, and mindfulness have assisted Mannino in her endeavors, and they can help you too.
Since commuting to a career as an influencer, Mannino has seen some rapid success in ten months. She’s had the opportunity to work with companies such as Amazon and Revlon on unique projects like merchandise designing. Her career switch has also helped her meet some interesting people and travel regularly. Mannino has also collaborated with Long Island peer Evangelina Petrakis on a jewelry collection after Petrakis invited her to work together. The two connected over lunch and immediately became friends, partially because Petrakis is an influencer herself.
Social media influencing has become a leading career path and millions of young adults and teens dream of becoming influencers. Jordyn Mannino practically stumbled across the opportunity after actively using social media during the pandemic. Her experience was more therapeutic because, unlike most social media users, Mannino discovered the value of creating original content instead of consuming it. As she wraps up her final year of college, the young entrepreneur has a great future ahead of her. She created this future by listening to her mind and finding a solution to help her grow in a difficult time.
