Title: How does social media impact the mental health of young people?
Headings: How does social media impact the mental health of young people?
How does social media impact the mental health of young people?
Dr. Linda Papadopoulos | April 12th, 2017
The power of social media
What does research say about social media and mental health?
1. Impact on sleep
2. Use as life comparing tool
3. Chasing likes on post to drive self-worth / self-esteem
Talking to children about the pros & cons of social media
Resources

Content: They may start to worry about how they are seen, making them more self-critical of both their physical appearance and their lives in general. Constant posting may also open them up to receiving more negative or mean comments on line, rather than compliments or praise. Potentially they may be more at risk of being cyberbullied which has been linked to serious depression and even suicidal behaviour in extreme cases. Talking to children about the pros & cons of social media
So, while there are of course many benefits to social media, as parents it’s important that we discuss with our kids the importance of using it in a healthier way. We need to have a talk about the impact of seeking approval from an online world that doesn’t really know them or comparing their lives to the edited versions of the lives they see online. We need to talk about how it has the potential to effect sleep and therefore their health and through that help them make more informed choices about when to ‘switch off’ at night. Ultimately we need to remind them that social media is not the only way of being social and encourage more face to face interaction and connections, reminding them to be wary of letting online engagement get in the way of good mental health and wellbeing. Resources
If you’re concerned about your child’s mental health, contact YoungMinds’ parent helpline for one-to-one support, 0808 802 5544
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