Social Media Making Youngsters 'Mentally ill'
We've been chatting to Dr Richard Graham, Consultant at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, about social media and mental health issues.
Social media use is making some people anxious, worried and depressed and is now being linked to mental health issues.
Dr Richard Graham, Consultant at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust says he is dealing with more youngsters who have problems stemming from social media use, including feeling pressure to post on Facebook and addiction issues where they end up spending hours a day online.
He says there is a danger more could become mentally ill because of a new generation of social media users who are growing up living their lives through photo-sharing and hashtagging.
At Tavistock and Portman, a mental health clinic in London, he sees a wide range of clients who are dealing with being entangled in social media, and offers them a variety of solutions, like having an online detox.
He said; “When they feel they don’t have to look, they don’t have to see all those notifications, all those updates; I think that can give them a more positive feeling about themselves. They aren’t feeling so negative in comparison to others because offline we are whatever we are.”
“I think I great deal of comparison is going on, which can affect self-esteem and nudge people to objectify themselves and their bodies and in turn cause anxiety and self-loathing.”
“My sense is, if you become too reliant on social media or apps, and too connected in a way that is difficult to disconnect in time it might diminish you. Young people are at risk of feeling less than they are, because they attribute more importance to what their devises can do. There’s no sign that this wave of technological revolution is going to slow down so we need to look out for potential problems.
Warning
“This is a tool that should be making your life better and if it ever crosses your mind that it’s not doing that then take it seriously and take a good hard look in that digital mirror. You must make sure your use isn’t taking something out of your life rather than contributing positively to it.
“I think if we can get that message to young people, so they don’t feel they’re enslaved to the device then that would be great. But having said that I know it’s difficult for them to be separated from what’s going on and they can feel worried and painful if they are not involved, so it really is a tough call.
“We need to create more clean spaces where people can perhaps just go, reflect and switch off.”