Social Media

  • Mental Health Blogs

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 1 minute

    Kevin has put together what he’s calling the “The Best Mental Health Blogs We’ve Found (So Far)” over on the Blunt-Therapy website.

    He was kind enough to list this little blog among the 49 blogs that are already listed, and he’s taking suggestions for more.

    If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we really need more information, education, and support, when it comes to mental health. Maybe consider checking out his list, following these bloggers on social media of through email or RSS subscriptions, and spend some quality time finding better mental health?

  • Sharing – 5 facts about child sex trafficking that will help you make a difference

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 2 minutes

    This is a really helpful article from Thorn about child sex trafficking, and it contains a lot of good information about how to learn more, how you can help, how to make a report etc. What I also found interesting were these two points that might have been listed under what NOT to do: “Be…

  • Links I’m Sharing (weekly) August 30, 2020

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 1 minute

    The Extra Stigma of Mental Illness for African-Americans Barriers to Help: Q&A With a Mental Health Counselor What Does Mental Health Advocacy Mean To You? Upsurge In Depression And Suicide Among American Workers During The Pandemic And What Needs To Be Done What I Wish I Had Said about Mental Health and Suicide 10 Virtual…

  • Sharing – Is Your Brain Tired? You May Be Mentally Fatigued

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 2 minutes

    I don’t know about you, but I feel this: “In a normal environment, you know what to expect and how to navigate things. You probably have work under control, school schedules are structured, and the regular chaos of life ebbs and flows at a fairly predicable rate. Sometimes you’re stressed, sometimes you’re not, and occasionally…

  • Sharing – How Feeling Not Good Enough Makes You Crave Validation

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 1 minute

    I also want to point out that this sense of being enough, having an internal sense of self and worth, is an important part of keeping children safe. Kids constantly on the lookout for external validation, are easier targets for grooming and abuse.

    How would you develop this sense of self in yourself? I have some ideas, but I want to hear from all of you too.

  • New Research on Social Media and Teen Mental Health

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 3 minutes

    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?