Social media: A tool for better Mental Health

If the past two years have shown us anything, it is that the connections we have with family, friends and even local businesses bring love, happiness and hope to our lives, as well as meaning and value. We got through the darkest days of the longest lockdowns because we held onto the hope that we could see that person again soon - you know the one that reminds you what it feels like to be truly alive? Well, there was one thing that our generation had during a worldwide pandemic that kept our connections strong which no generation had before – Social media.

With its prime function being to connect people together, create communities and build positive relationships, social media is an invaluable tool for both businesses and personal users. It is one of the greatest gifts from our generation to the future which was not available to those before us. Social media can be used to improve many people’s quality of life, as well as help to develop relationships, so how it can have a positive impact on people’s mental health?

There are many ways in which social media usage has a positive effect on a person’s mental health. Predominantly, many social media platforms are goldmines for education. I’m not just talking about what is taught in schools, but the real-life lessons and experiences that are vital for survival. These ideas and topics are shared and discussed on social media platforms in a format that educates users without it feeling forced. In the rare case that you haven't heard of Tiktok, it is the social media platform which has captured the attention of over 600 million people during lockdown. It is addictive and I will admit I often spend more time scrolling through those endless videos than I have the time for. However, is this time that is being wasted if we are passively learning? Many Tiktok users are creating educational content providing extensive information to viewers relating to skill development, subject knowledge and basic life hacks. Following accounts which continuously upload educational content can enable social media use to be an educational experience, while still being enjoyable!

So how does educating oneself through social media have a positive impact on a person’s mental health? Education can change perspectives on life, spark opinions and develop interests. Learning about new areas of life and discovering interests can lead to the formation of new hobbies and development of a person’s niche or passion. The social network is a creative outlet where people can express themselves to others with similar interests and feel understood and connected with their people. Extensive research has shown that having a hobby can reduce depression levels significantly. This is understandable as hobbies and passions fuel a person’s interests in life and are motivators for excitement and perseverance through the tough times.

As a regular user of social media and also someone who struggles with mental health difficulties, my discovery of social media provided me with a positive impact on my mental health. I used to sit at home and write stories in notebooks that no one would ever read, and I continuously felt unsure of myself, doubting whether my writing abilities were actually any good. Discovering social media enabled me to showcase my writing to other people who were eager to read my work, and overtime their feedback gave me confidence I had been searching for to develop my writing skills further and embark on a journey of making it my career. I suffer with an anxiety disorder and becoming a part of this online community which praised me for my abilities and connected me with likeminded people helped to curb the anxious and depressive emotions I used to regularly experience before when I was alone.

Mental health is an umbrella term, and below are so many specific illnesses which cannot simply be cured by having a social media presence. However, social media use can be adapted to ease symptoms or struggles in daily life such as presenting a form of distraction and enjoyment to those in constant pain. Many people suffer from mental health difficulties due to the anxiety and pressure of being expected to know their purpose in life from an incredibly young age, as well as from result of job loss or unemployment. These levels rose significantly following the Coronavirus Pandemic, however social media provided many people with the opportunities to start their own businesses and companies, thus saving many from unemployment and reigniting their passions and interests in a way that they could also make a living. Without social media, so many of these businesses wouldn’t have got off the ground, thus overall having a positive impact on people’s mental health.

Social media showcases as a space for people to talk about their emotions with people that may not otherwise be available around them. When it comes to mental health, we are told to talk to people, to open up, that someone is always there to listen. But sometimes the people around us have got their own issues to deal with and struggle to understand why a person is feeling how they do. This is where social media becomes invaluable to mental health sufferers, because with a click of a button they can find a person, whether it is via a safe online chat or through video, to talk to someone who wants to listen. Communication helps to normalise mental health experiences and social media helps to spread this awareness. Seeing other people talk about how anxious they feel when required to make a doctors call at the age of twenty-three normalises this experience and reminds me to be not put myself down for my struggles.

I understand that social media has been in the limelight in recent years for the detrimental effects it has had on several people’s mental health. No one should ever have to be on the receiving end of hate or any form of treatment that can lead to the worsening of mental health conditions. More often than not, it is actually those who are struggling with their own mental health that engage in these negative behaviours towards others to validate themselves. And while these negative experiences have happened and are valid, I do believe that they also happen outside of social media use, and we cannot blame social media platforms for the actions of others. The older generations often comment that the ways that we use social media is becoming addictive and controlling, and that we should go back to how they use to interact. To that I say that we need to be worrying less about how social media is consuming us and more about how we are consuming social media. Social media is a tool, and how we use it will project various outcomes in the same way that they had different tools in their time. Our mobile phones have become a form of a toolbox. They contain a range of tools -a torch, calculator, camera, even our bank cards. Social media is another tool in that box that we can utilise to create and adapt our lives. Sure it might have negative effects when in the wrong hands and used for the wrong reasons, but that’s the same with any tools – wasn’t it Miss Scarlett with the dagger in the dining room? We’ve evolved, and so have our tools. It’s time to recognise that it is the actions of others that are detrimental to mental health, as opposed to the tools they are using to cause it.

I believe that the best way forward to reduce the association of harmful actions with social media is to enforce further rules and laws in line with hateful speech on platforms. We need to prioritise the mental health of social media users, and increase its use as a space to have a positive experience without fear of damaging behaviours from others. There are also many ways in which people can adapt social media to their advantage, to block any forms of negativity from impacting their time online. This can be done by utilising the security functions available on platforms, privatising content and profiles to only share to people that you trust and feel safe engaging with. We need not to step away, but to step up. To call out those who are using social media to bring others down and associate a positive tool with a negative image.

I hope that more people can discover who they really are through their time on social media and meet likeminded people to boost their mental health overall. I am aware that there will always be negative sides to things, and nothing will be positive all the time, but we should be grateful for this tool for how it can improve our quality of life and communication with others.