Tips for looking after your mental health online
This #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek, we reflect on the ways you can protect your mental health when using digital technology.
Social media has become a core part of daily life for many children and young people.
Studies in the UK reveal that 64% of children and young people (aged 3-17) regularly use social media apps. With smartphones deeply integrated in all our lives, researchers are increasingly interested in both the positive and negative effects of digital technology on our mental health.
We spoke to Rebecca, a YoungMinds Youth Advisor, about her experience of social media, and her tips for looking after your mental health online.
1. Reflect on how much time you're spending on social media
It can be easy to fall into the habit of scrolling on your phone longer than planned, given the endless stream of new content. On your phone, you can see your daily and weekly screen time, and what apps you are using most often.
Rebecca says acknowledging the amount of time she spent on her phone was the first thing that made her stop and reflect. “It took me a few weeks after seeing that dreaded screen time statistic for it to finally click: ‘Okay, I need to do something about this,” Rebecca says.
2. Make the most of your screen time settings
Another way of managing your time online is to set limits on your phone. Rebecca suggests “using your screen time settings to keep a log. You can limit your time on certain apps.” This can help you avoid the dreaded doom scroll, by physically limiting access to certain apps.
3. Take regular breaks
Rebecca finds that taking regular breaks from social media can “help reset my mind.” Some useful ways of doing this include the 20-20-20 rule: taking a 20-second break from a screen to look at something 20 feet away, every 20 minutes.
Hiding your screens an hour before going to sleep is also beneficial and increases your chances of a peaceful night’s sleep.
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Support us“The more you interact with content that inspires, educates, and makes you feel happy, the more your feed will reflect that"Rebecca
YoungMinds Youth Advisor
4. Use algorithms to your advantage
Social media platforms use algorithms to monitor your interactions, to know what content you like and don’t like. “If there's a post or a page that makes you feel anxious or triggered, don't be afraid to hit ‘not interested’ or unfollow them,” Rebecca says. “The more you interact with content that inspires, educates, and makes you feel happy, the more your feed will reflect that. I've found that by curating my digital space to be a place of positivity, I’m now more likely to see that type of content.”
5. It's not all negative - maximise the benefits of digital technology
Rebecca emphasises the many benefits of using digital technology, from staying connected with family and friends, to finding daily motivation and sparking creativity.
There are also various online platforms and apps that promote productivity and can support you in keeping a balance between life, work and study. For example, during her university years, Rebecca used the Forest app, to help her stay off social media and focus on her work: “the more time you spend productively doing a task, the more the tree grows, and eventually it gets planted. It’s very helpful for tracking your productivity.”
Rebecca is a YoungMinds Youth Advisor on a study by Professor Rina Dutta of King’s College London, which is looking at the mental health impacts of phone and social media use.
Reflecting on her involvement with Professor Dutta’s research, Rebecca says: “Studies like this are important because they raise awareness of how social media can impact young people's mental health, both positively and negatively.”
“Research can influence how professionals, schools and even the social media platforms themselves approach digital wellbeing. The more evidence we have, the better we can design support systems, set healthy boundaries, and educate others in ways that are based on real experiences.”