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All images by Rebecca Cohen, used with permission.

Here’s a thought.

Self proclaimed feminist killjoy Rebecca Cohen is a cartoonist based in Berkeley, California.

Here’s what she has to say about her role as an artist taken from her Patreon page.

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The English language is constantly evolving, and the faster the world changes, the faster our vocabulary changes. Some of us grew up in an age when a "wireless router" would have been assumed to be a power tool, not a way to get your laptop (which wasn't a thing when I was a kid) connected to the internet (which also wasn't a thing when I was a kid, at least not in people's homes).

It's interesting to step back and look at how much has changed just in our own lifetimes, which is why Merriam-Webster's Time Traveler tool is so fun to play with. All you do is choose a year, and it tells you what words first appeared in print that year.

For my birth year, the words "adult-onset diabetes," "playdate," and "ATM" showed up in print for the first time, and yes, that makes me feel ridiculously old.

It's also fun to plug in the years of different people's births to see how their generational differences might impact their perspectives. For example, let's take the birth years of the oldest and youngest members of Congress:

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Family

How a DIY dress helped one woman reclaim the power words had on her body.

'We should all be able to celebrate and love ourselves without fear of criticism from others, whatever shape or size we are.'

News flash: Words have power. This is something Jojo Oldham knows all too well.

Whether you're a soap star hearing lewd comments made by a politician 10 years ago or the average woman getting catcalled on her way home from work, what other people have to say about your body leave a lasting impression.

Over Oldham's 31 years of existence, she's received countless comments about her body — both good and bad.

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Family

Sadness and depression can be easily confused. These 10 tweets show there's a difference.

It's very common to not know the difference between sadness and depression.

We all get sad once in a while. When that happens, some of us take to social media to let the world in on our sorrows.

While some may take that like a virtual invitation to a one-person pity party, others may interpret it as someone who genuinely needs to vent about feeling down and out.

Image by iStock.

The hashtag #IGetDepressedWhen was unleashed and started trending on Aug. 31.

At first, users took to the hashtag with silly and essentially harmless commentary. One user tweeted, "#IGetDepressedWhen I open my paycheck."

Another read, "#IGetDepressedWhen I go to the fridge with my cup ready in hand to fill it with some quality koolaid but the pitcher is empty in the fridge."

These types of tweets struck a nerve with people who felt depression was being trivialized.

The discussion quickly took a telling turn from witty confessions about mild inconveniences to more serious discussions about the difference between feeling sad and being clinically depressed.

Here are 10 tweets that stood out in the conversation:

1. Some didn't like the word "depressed" being used so casually.

2. Or that a disease was being referred to as an emotion.

3. Or were feeling like Liv...

4. Others like Alex Phillips were put off by the trending hashtag — period.

Users like @GennaBain, @autwizzle, and @biebersjuarez, agreed.

5. Many wanted to make sure depression was being taken seriously.

6. Because it's NOT a joke.

7. By pointing out depression is not a choice.

8. Even suggesting perhaps a more fitting hashtag.

9. Or asking that the word "depression" not be used willy-nilly.

10. And a simple yet powerful reminder to have compassion and not turn this mental disorder into a joke.

There is a difference between feeling sad and being clinically depressed.

We tend to associate depression with its primary symptom (sadness), so for a lot of us, it's difficult to tell the difference.

Scientifically speaking, the difference is depression is a result of a chemical imbalance. People diagnosed with this mental disorder have less seratonin neurotransmitters, which produce what are often referred to as the "feel-good chemical."

But there are other factors. Genetics, stress, medications, or other health issues can also contribute to someone developing this neurological disease.

Image by iStock.

These Twitter reactions were a great reminder that we should think twice before claiming we're depressed when we could just be having a bad day.

Sure it's a go-to term for a lot of people who are bummed about something fleeting, but maybe by avoiding using it so sparingly, we can also avoid hurting each other's feelings.

To be clear, everyone's feelings deserve to be acknowledged and validated. Above all, this thread is a comforting reminder that if you suffer from this mental disorder, you're definitely not alone.  

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