Social media and mental health
Social media is a huge part of society now and many of us can pick up our phones and start scrolling through our feeds without consciously realising we have done so. While social media can have a positive impact in our lives by helping us to remember memories and keeping us in contact with each other and our communities, it can also have a negative impact for our body image and the way we see ourselves.
Self-acceptance and self-esteem are closely linked with mental health so if they start to deteriorate following what we see on social media then our overall mental health will start to deteriorate also. Comparing ourselves to others, be it online or offline, can undermine these things, giving rise to feelings of inadequacy.
How to stop social media affecting the way you see yourself
There are a few things you can try to ensure that your usage of social media does not affect your body image or mental health.
- Try to avoid unconscious scrolling through your social media feeds where you are looking at photos, statuses and videos but not really paying attention to what they are showing. Doing this can lead us to comparing ourselves to photos on social media without even realising it then effecting our body image.
- Try to be more aware of the content you are seeing. Are you following lots of unhelpful accounts who are posting messages that are bringing down your body image and mental health? Try to start following a few positive accounts who are passionate about positive body image, self-love and acceptance so that when you are scrolling through your feed you are seeing some positive messages. Also remember that what you are seeing is not always an accurate representation of real life as a lot of celebrities have access to photo editing tools, make up artists, expensive surgery and more to change the way they naturally look. There is no ‘right look’ and the way we all look not is perfect.
- Be conscious about who are following. If you are following lots of accounts who are posting the ‘perfect image of a body’ or the ‘right way to live’ then think about un-following them even if just for a short time. All bodies are perfect bodies and there is no right way to look, by un-following negative accounts you can think about what your the effects that those images have on your mental health and body image and start to notice a positive change.
Social media is a huge platform for messages to be shared on however make sure that you are looking at the positive messages that are promoting inclusiveness for all people and not just people with a certain look or body type.
If you need to talk to anyone about how you are feeling whether it is about body image or any other thoughts you are having you can contact some organisations who are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Both of the services below are confidential and free to contact.
If you are under 19 you can contact Childline over the phone (on: 08001111) and online to speak with a counsellor about how you are feeling.
If you are over 19 you can contact The Samaritans over the phone (on: 116123) or via email.
If we become obsessed with our body image this can sometimes affect our mental health and our relationship with food which can lead to eating problems or eating disorders.
Beat Eating Disorders provides helplines for adults and young people and offers support and information about eating disorders (please note that you do not need to have a diagnosis of an eating disorder to contact Beat):
Adult Helpline: 0808 801 0677
Studentline: 0808 801 0811
Youthline: 0808 801 0711
Open 365 days a year from 12pm – 8pm during the week, and 4pm – 8pm on weekends and bank holidays.
Beat also provide 1-1 online support via web chat. This is accessible by clicking here and is available; Monday – Friday: 12:00 – 20:00 and Saturday – Sunday: 16:00 – 20:00 BST
