The Times published a report about the ongoing issue of natural parents circumventing the official channels by using Facebook to contact children that had been adopted. Since The Times sits behind a paywall, the Daily Telegraph’s take on the story, with collected stories in the centre of the page, is here.
– CBG
I think that second quote is really the key. We’ve seen studies that are reported as showing that kids who use social media get more depression and anxiety, but those studies do not address the question of whether there’s any proof that the causality is in that direction and not the other. In other words, do teens who use social media a lot develop depression, or do depressed teens use social media more. This study seems to indicate it’s the latter. As we continue with a lot of social distancing, and activities being canceled and in person gatherings are very limited, we know everyone will be relying more on social media to stay connected, so this is an important question, and I think what this study, and others, really shows us is that there are ways to use social media as a positive influence on our mental health, and a way to use it that will not be a positive influence on our mental health.
In the physical world, we have these same choices. Do we interact with people who are toxic? Do we spend all of our time comparing ourselves to others? Do we isolate? Or do we find out tribe, our group of supportive friends/family that can interact socially in ways that help our mental health?
We all make those same choices on social media, but the key difference here is that if we simply don’t choose, and make no effort to make conscious decisions about who we follow and interact with, social network algorithms will make the decision for us. Anyone already struggling with mental health is maybe more likely to not spent much time thinking about these things, and just let the app show them what it wants to show them, and that is not necessarily going to be good for our anxiety. Especially right now.
So, if you find yourself feeling more anxious, angry, irritated, etc. every time you hop on Twitter or Instagram, maybe instead of just being that way, spend some time thinking about who you follow, and what they are bringing in to your life?
For any of my social media using readers, can you share some of your favorite positive accounts that you interact with to HELP your mental health?
After changing his name at least once and moving countries for the second time, paedophile hockey coach Graham James pleaded guilty to the abuse of Theoren Fleury as described in the player’s dictated autobiography Playing With Fire. Sentencing will take place in two months’ time. Two more players disclosed to Winnepeg police after Fleury made…
This was one of the hardest things for people in my life when I was at my worst with depression. Once it was “out there”, people just stopped interacting with me unless they absolutely had to, and then they were so clearly uncomfortable around me that they were no help at all. Do interact with…
The Damage Caused By Sexual Abuse tags: CA 25 Ways to Keep Kids Safe on National Missing Childrens Day tags: CA I Blamed Myself For My Abuse Since I Didn’t Tell tags: CA My Name is Sandra, I’m a Survivor tags: CA Male Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse — Looking Through a Gendered Lens tags:…
The NY Times has published another interesting article, this time about the level of detail people tend to reveal or conceal when either blogging or social networking, and how this level may differ among the generations. The long comment role is also insightful. Read the article here. – CBG
Unfortunately, the rather detailed story that appeared in the Washington Post is all too familiar to anyone who’s been paying attention. Man is suffering from mental illness, possibly delusional, but refuses to get treatment. What is a family to do? The law says you can’t have someone involuntarily committed until they prove to be “a…
