According to The New York Times Upfront magazine, from the year 2011-2021, the number of teens and young adults with clinical depression has more than doubled, and San Diego State University psychology professor Jean Twenge believes this increase is due to the upsurge in social media usage.
Since the majority of high school students use social media, and Foran is no exception, it is important to know how to stay safe on social media and protect your mental health.
Senior Elle Philpott is the social media manager for Foran. Her job consists of promoting the Mane Street Mirror across several different platforms and engaging students in a way they’re familiar with (interactive videos, polls, story posts, etc.).
“On some of the platforms, specifically Instagram and TikTok, there has been a bit of a problem with hate comments or just not school-appropriate comments. Having public accounts opens the opportunity for people who don’t attend Foran to express opinions on our content,” states Philpott.
Privacy is a big factor that can aid in being safe on social media. Although having a private account can’t eliminate every single danger you’ll come across on social media, it can limit things like hate comments or strangers. Everyone who has access to your content must first be approved by you.
Teacher librarian Jaclyn Deloma has recommendations for both students and adults regarding privacy.
“You get things from these people that you don’t know all the time, and they’re phishing, that’s called phishing, like they’re just trying to get you in, trying to scam you or try to get you for other things so you have to be hugely careful of all of that.”
Limiting your time on social media can also be very effective in keeping yourself mentally stable. The Journal of Technology in Behavior Science conducted a study where individuals were asked to reduce their social media use by 15 minutes per day, and the results showed these individuals had a 50% improvement in sleep quality and 30% fewer depressive symptoms. (student quote)
“I think the depression, a lot of it is caused because if you are constantly on something, A, you’re not being engaged in the actual real world and B, you’re also in that comparison mode,” says DeLoma.
Spending time off social media or your phone completely is very beneficial. Instead of going on your phone before bed, you could read or journal. Students comparing themselves to what others put out on social media also poses a giant threat towards their mental health.
“Social media sometimes distracts me from my daily activities, and I find myself spending way too much time on platforms. It also makes people compare themselves to photoshopped images which can ruin someone’s mental health.” says sophomore Alexandra Capozzi.
The things users consume on social media are just fractions of the creator’s everyday life, and many times photos or content is edited. Students often will find themselves wondering why their life or appearance doesn’t look like what they see online, and this can lead to a negative view of themselves.
“Whatever you put out, it never goes away. Even if you think you have deleted it, it can always be found. You have to make sure you’re very wise about the choices you make with what you’re posting because there are severe consequences and severe repercussions.” quotes DeLoma.
Social media is constantly growing and becoming a bigger part of the world we live in everyday; making safe choices is key to thriving on social media and in your real life.
