Connection

  • Sharing – Adolescents with mental health conditions show different social media habits

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 2 minutes

    The point I want to make is not that social media is perfectly safe. I want us to understand that it is nuanced, and the impact on any one kid is undetermined. We know that kids with strong connections are safer and have better mental health. Instead of assuming that we’ve solved the youth mental health issue by blocking social media, let’s make sure our kids have the kind of community that helps rather than harms their mental health. 

  • Sharing – Fewer friends, outlets and direction: Why boys are dying by suicide at an inordinate pace.

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 2 minutes

    We know that connection is a key indicator of mental health, and the number of people, not just men, who lack meaningful connections is increasing. Perhaps instead of telling boys all how they shouldn’t connect unless it’s in a very short list of acceptable ways, we should embrace all the ways they can connect.

    What I’ve known since I was a child being abused is that boys who are withdrawn and disconnected are easy targets for some evil people. It’s dangerous. Stop limiting the ways they can connect; young men need to stop limiting themselves and find healthy connections. 

  • Sharing – Stop Calling It A ‘Male Epidemic’ – Loneliness Is Everywhere

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 1 minute

    We have created a culture that makes it challenging to form and sustain meaningful connections. It truly is a cultural problem. Whether it’s the lack of third places, our focus on work instead of community, or the fear of reaching out to others, we’re growing increasingly isolated. 

    That isolation might feel like independence, but it does real harm.

  • Shared Links (weekly) Dec 29, 2024

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 1 minute