In our recent roundtable, we spoke with mental health experts on the topic of social media and its impact on young people. During this discussion, Louisa Rose, CEO of Beyond, and Alex Wallace, Founder of The Mintridge Foundation, shared their thoughts.
Social media can cause unhealthy dependencies, resulting in a person neglecting their relationships, poor sleep, and low self-esteem. However, there are also many benefits of social media. Forming meaningful connections and finding communities are vital to the wellbeing of young people today.
We’ve created a list of resources that promote digital wellbeing, which young people and adults can use to help improve resilience and safety online:
Five resources that promote digital wellbeing
Digital resilience tool kit for parents
Internet matters, a website that provides resources, tools and advice to support parents and carers in navigating the digital landscape, has created an accessible collection of resources which aim to help parents teach better digital safety to their children.
These resources explore the kind of activities young people engage with on digital platforms, the associated risks, and how to prepare them for possible challenges and dangers.
Digital wellbeing courses
Google offers various free courses, including valuable training on healthy digital practices. These courses teach best practices for all individuals who want a more healthy relationship with technology.
Groups like the YMCA also offer peer-supported digital wellbeing courses.
Screen time limits
It’s good practice to encourage healthy boundaries and time restrictions on young people’s phone use. Fortunately, most phones now have capabilities for users to view and customise their screen time in a way that works for them.
In addition to parental controls, young people can now limit their own screen time, apps and notifications depending on the time of day, and specify who can communicate with them online.
Work together and give your child the autonomy of choice, this will help them to think about their mental health and the impact of digital technology, creating practices that work for them and their lives.
For Android: https://wellbeing.google/for-everyone/
For Apple: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT208982
Apps for mental wellbeing
According to a 2022 report from Ofcom: 8 in 10 children aged 13-17 used online services to find support for their wellbeing. Sleep, relaxation, and good mood emerged as popular searches for young people.
Apps to improve mental health are becoming more and more popular. In addition to meditation apps, some apps specialise in sleep, yoga, future planning and positivity.
Some of our favourite mental health support apps include:
Happy Not Perfect is an accessible mindfulness app that helps you centre your thoughts and assess your wellbeing.
My Possible Self is an NHS-approved app that supports positive behavioural changes and tools that use CBT to help manage a range of unwanted feelings such as stress, depression and anxiety.
WYSA is a non-judgemental AI chatbot that allows you to talk about a range of stressful issues and topics in a safe space, with an option to join a live session or speak to a professional if you need further support.
Escalating and reporting
It is essential that we teach young people how to report anything they might find upsetting on social media. All platforms have community guidelines that protect users from posts or private messages that may have a negative emotional impact.
It may also help to educate your child about the wider impact of reporting harmful content, as it protects the individual and the wider community. This article from Think You Know explains precisely how you can report and block profiles.
If you experience online abuse, it’s advisable to escalate these issues to Child Protection Advisors. The Child Exploitation and Online Protection organisation is also a great source of
information if you or your child are worried about making a report, or are questioning the severity of the content.
When it comes to child safety online, our approach is always to err on the side of caution. It doesn’t have to be a scary conversation, though. It can be a fantastic opportunity to teach young people autonomy and awareness of their own safety.
mdeducational foundation provides grants to secondary schools in the UK and Ireland to provide better mental health support to young people aged 16-18. Get in touch to find out how we can offer additional support to your child’s school.
