Intros: 

Hi, I’m Hannah Betts, one of MAZE’s Co-Editors-In-Chief. I am also a third-year neuroscience student with an interest in neuropharmacology and drug discovery. I have been a part of MAZE for over two years now. In the past, I held the position of Head of Social Media. I am also a writer for MAZE, having published two articles in our past issues focusing on the neuroscience behind love. 

Hi! I’m Giulia, the Co-Editor-in-Chief, alongside Hannah. I am a second-year student studying neuroscience, and have been part of MAZE since first year. I joined in the first semester as an editor and created the section on ‘The Intertwine of Technology and Pharmacology in Neuroscience’, which I continued to be part of when I became Head of Editing in the second semester. I held this role until this semester, when I became Co-Editor-in-Chief. 

(1) What is MAZE, and what is its purpose in the world of science magazines? 

MAZE’s Co-Editors-In-Chief (Hannah and Giulia): 

MAZE is the University of St Andrews’ psychology and neuroscience magazine. It is a student-led magazine originally created by Sarune Savi in 2013. Its goal is to give students a space to explore their interests that push beyond the structure of academics, and engage people with topics in psychology and neuroscience. These goals are maintained and communicated by releasing two magazine issues every academic year via print, our social media and website, and, more recently, presented at our MAZE Conference! 

Regarding its purpose in the world of science magazines, we believe it is necessary to prioritize effectively communicating topics in science to make them easy to understand and engaging to the public. This centers around effective science communication. Not only does this form of communication provide further understanding and education on topics relating to our health and the world around us, but it is also more reliable and exciting. 

We recruit new members to our committee at the beginning of each semester. This includes positions on our team as a writer, artist, editor, [or in] design, fundraising, events, social media, and more! If you’re interested in getting involved, feel free to send us an email: mazemag@st-andrews.ac.uk and follow our Instagram: @maze_standrews. 

(2) What's the most interesting psychological issue that’s emerging in our generation that you didn’t expect to see? 

Hannah: I really like this question because there’s a lot of innovation happening in neuroscience and psychology at the moment. It’s really exciting to see our generation and younger generations begin to engage with topics they’re passionate about in the field. I think one really cool psychological interest emerging in our generation is the interest in the effects of drugs and psychedelics on our brains, and further, how these drugs might be manipulated or repurposed to be applied to modern medicine. We witnessed this interest in our most recent issue of MAZE, in which a writer explored the history and use of psilocybin mushrooms. This article outlined the history behind how modern medicine curved away from exploring psychedelics in mental health treatment and disorders/disease treatment, and how this may be a judgment worth reevaluating in the progression of modern research. 

Giulia: This is such a fascinating question. I’d say one of the most interesting issues, or areas of research, that are emerging in our generation has to do with the difference in perspective on drugs and psychedelics. We’re seeing this with MDMA-assisted therapy in PTSD, ketamine in depression, and psilocybin-assisted therapy in anxiety and depression, as Hannah mentioned. 

(3) Let’s talk about the psyche of Gen Z. Do you think we are more self-aware or more self-obsessed? 

Giulia: Hmm. I would say that there’s actually a balance between the two, leaning more towards self-awareness than self-obsession. This self-awareness doesn’t just have to do with our ability to self-reflect on topics important to us, like identity and mental health, it also has to do with our wanting to understand ourselves more, because that’s how we identify who we are, what we value, what we look for, and what we admire in others. Regarding self-obsession, understandably, we often want to show the best versions of ourselves to the world, whether that be in person or social media. In the case of social media, especially, when we see someone we look up to, we tend to self-reflect at the same time, often in the form of comparing. This is when I think the switch between self-awareness and self-obsession could occur. However, more and more, at least on my social media, I’m seeing honesty and vulnerability, especially with topics to do with mental health and body image, which I believe confirms growth in self-awareness rather than obsession. 

Hannah: I agree with Giulia. I think the psyche of Gen Z is quite complex and definitely includes a mix of both. Overall, I believe we are more self-aware as a generation, specifically in terms of our introspectiveness and shared experiences. I think our newfound self-awareness as a generation rises from our ability to share experiences with a strong use of social media. We seem more open as a generation to talk about things and to find that we click with another person through that outreach and self-reflection. But I think, as with everything, some situations will grow into a bit of a self-obsession. But is being self-obsessed actually a “bad” thing? Or is it sometimes even a bit necessary to be in love with yourself or deeply focused on simply you? 

(4) With mental health becoming more mainstream, are we at risk of trivializing real issues by over-labeling ourselves? 

Hannah: This is a difficult question. I think there’s a benefit to mainstream sharing, as I spoke about previously. It is beneficial to talk about one's experiences and find that others have shared those experiences. This can even aid in identifying symptoms of mental health or illness that may previously have gone overlooked or were more challenging to diagnose. Access to networks of people suffering from the same symptoms or disorders allows people to help each other navigate illness and feel more connected and understood. But in the same right, it can sometimes unleash unnecessary anxieties with erroneous self-diagnosis. I don’t think people talking about mental health or illnesses makes them trivial. I actually think it’s quite essential to keep the conversation going. These topics are important to our generation. I think self-labeling is as simple as figuring out how you fit into the world, especially when it feels like it's not always working with you, an experience generally felt by people with learning disabilities or neurodevelopmental disorders. I think it becomes harmful when it begins to waiver from raising awareness to produce positive change into simply utilizing a label as an excuse. I think it probably should be coupled with a search for confirmation and seeking to speak to a knowledge base beyond word of mouth or the internet. 

(5) Our generation has been a lot more outspoken about things like burnout and not overworking yourself. Some would argue that our generation doesn’t work anymore and is getting lazy. Studies have shown that work production has reduced over the years. Do you think we’re taking care of ourselves or trying to justify our comfort in our laziness? 

Hannah: I think we’re taking care of ourselves. I think what may come off as lazy to some or other generations is an incredible revolution in self-respect and self-care. As an active practitioner of this, I may be biased, but I’ve found that when I take a step back, set boundaries, and prioritize a social schedule and self-care time, I return to my work more productive and more engaged with learning. I think our generation is trying to navigate to a work-life balance that’s truly balanced, and prioritizing our mental health and taking care of ourselves, I believe, will only reap benefits down the line. 

Giulia: I completely agree. I’m also sure that everyone at some point in their lives was told that they’re sleeping too much, or not studying enough, or not working hard enough. But there’s a reason for that sleep. If it seems like we’re not studying or working hard enough, there’s a reason behind that too. There is a line between working and overworking, and studying properly for less time versus studying for hours and hours but with poor study techniques. And this line has yet to be drawn. And when these reasons are not the case, then it often boils down to what cannot be seen from a perspective other than our own. 

(6) There is a lot happening in the world right now. Intense stuff, of course. I’ve seen a lot of people say specifically on social media that it’s okay to turn off your phone and disconnect from these issues for the sake of your mental health. Is this true, or does it just produce and justify ignorant, disconnected individuals? 

Hannah: I think that has to become an individual decision. People have a right to care about what’s important to them. Prioritizing your mental health should, of course, rise above all when necessary, and I don’t think it’s ignorant or disconnected to take a step back if you need to. But it is up to the individual to decide when they step forward again, re-engage, and decide how involved they want to be or can be. I think people inherently care about what’s happening in the world and care about people beyond themselves. I think respecting your mental health is a perfectly healthy, if not sometimes necessary, step for people engaging in activism and in what's happening in the world right now.