There’s no doubt that social media impacts almost every aspect of our everyday lives, from simple communication to self-expression. There is a lot of research out there on how social media affects our mental health, although most of it focuses on the negatives. However, lots of research suggests that social media can be beneficial to our mental health if used in the right way…

CAN SOCIAL MEDIA REALLY BENEFIT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH?

A recent 2022 study in Singapore* showed that there were 3 main ways social media can positively impact our mental health:

1) Connection with family and friends

2) Constructive engagement with content

3) Using social media as an outlet for expression

Firstly, building positive relationships by staying in touch with family and friends results in developing close relationships with mutual trust and a sense of belonging. Participants in the Singapore study also mentioned that by sharing feelings with family and friends, they felt a strong emotional support network.

Secondly, engagement with content that sparks our interests can be a great, constructive way to spend our time whilst inspiring our minds to perhaps try a new hobby or sport. Something as small as viewing funny memes or videos can alleviate stress and allow us to relax for a short while.

Finally, participants in this study felt that social media provided them with an outlet to express their opinions and show solidarity on global movements and climate issues, ultimately promoting social activism in the youth. Not to mention, we are able to express ourselves through many different mediums (pictures, audio, video and text).

Be an example for others!

A positive start really does begin with you. Share self-care tips, lead a healthy lifestyle, and chose positivity over negativity. Be mindful of your mood before posting – think, if I saw this content, how would it make me feel?

Be supportive!

It’s that age old saying of “you never know what others are going through, so be kind”. Whether you realise it or not, reaching out to friends or family can really make a difference! Support a friend’s small business or a family members art hobby. Get involved!

HOW CAN WE USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO POSITIVELY PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH?

Positivity on social media really does start with you! Check out the tips below to help you make healthy choices when using social media…

Start by cleaning your feed!

It’s time to remove, unfollow, or mute accounts that don’t bring you happiness, or that simply take up too much of your time.

Time for an APP cleanse?

Try deleting one of the social media apps that you have identified as a problem. Give it a trial run by going a week without checking a particular app and see how you feel at the end of the trial?

Find your niche!

There’s a tribe out there for everything and anything you could imagine! Love anime? There’s a page for that! Taylor Swift fan? Tons of great communities out there for you to join! Explore hashtags to find accounts with similar interests to your own.

Say hi!

The next step after finding your niche is to say hi! You never know what connections you might make. You should always approach this step with caution and be alert of who you’re talking to.

Try a mindfulness APP!

Finally, it’s vital to remember that there’s a plethora of apps out there dedicated to helping you with mental health. Some great APPs are ‘Calm’ and ‘Headspace’ that provide guided meditation sessions, productivity advice, or techniques for better sleep.

*Source: Vaingankar JA, van Dam RM, Samari E, et al. Social Media-Driven Routes to Positive Mental Health Among Youth: Qualitative Enquiry and Concept Mapping Study. JMIR Pediatr Parent. 2022 Mar 4;5(1):e32758. doi: 10.2196/32758