TikTokers Are Making "MH" Taboo Again by Turning It Into an Acronym

We all know that social media, specifically TikTok, has changed language in unimaginable ways. As young people call each other Green FNs and moots, it’s hard to keep up with the TikTok vernacular. The latest acronym we’ve seen floating around is “MH,” which seems to be used most often by women.

One woman even posted that her significant other didn’t know what “MH” meant and that his ignorance led to the demise of their relationship. How can two letters be so important? Well, once we get to the meaning behind “MH,” it’ll all make sense.

For some reason, TikTokers have decided that talking about mental health needs a shorthand, so they’ve taken “MH” as an acronym to use when discussing the subject. For centuries, mental health was rarely talked about, and even mentioning it openly or talking about therapy was taboo until very recently. Now, with movements like “Mental Health Awareness Month” and other organizations dedicated to mental health, society is finally taking it seriously.

However, by minimizing mental health into a two-letter acronym, it once again makes it seem like a taboo. Watching people’s videos in which they mention “MH,” it might just look like a shorthand, but it also seems like they’re avoiding actually saying “mental health.” Plus, by keeping people in the dark about the acronym’s meaning, it doesn’t spread the same awareness that actually talking about mental health does.

For example, TikToker @mhwiesman shared a video about her boyfriend-turned-ex, in which he once said, “We’re gonna have a really big house and have a really big yard and we’ll have a home gym!!” but after some time, he also said, “So what does MH stand for?” The fact he didn’t know what a TikTok acronym meant may have actually led to their breakup when perhaps he just still had a lot to learn about mental health.

While TikTok has changed the meaning of MH to mental health, some people have also used it to mean “My Heart.” In this case, it would be a term of endearment. For example, TikToker @ma._.gi made a video with the title, “When he starts texting ‘ml’ and ‘mh’ when you’ve only been talking for a week.”

In this case, she’s using “MH” to mean my heart in the story of a guy who called her “my love” and “my heart” way too soon for comfort. Calling a significant other “my heart” is a term of love, so if people are using it willy-nilly on TikTok after talking to people for a week, that’s probably a red flag.

For the most part, however, when you see “MH” on TikTok, think about mental health and maybe reach out to the OP to make sure they’re doing okay.