MENTAL HEALTH AND DIGITAL SKILLS:

8 FINDINGS by YOUNG PEOPLE

Digital technologies can have both positive and negative effects on mental health.

ySKILLS researchers spoke to young people experiencing mental health difficulties as part of a project on digital skills.

They said that:

We find it unhelpful when social media glamourises mental health problems, promotes unrealistic body images and encourages an unhealthy culture of comparison with others – especially when we are having a bad day.

Online, we value connecting with others who share similar difficulties, accessing helpful information, or finding distractions from difficult situations – especially when we have the digital skills to make the most of these opportunities. But even with great skills, we find it hard to locate reliable resources online and to know whom to trust.

We use our digital skills to improve our mental health. We try to counteract algorithms that suggest negative content, create positive online spaces, or find trusted people who can offer support. But even really good skills are not always enough and things can still go wrong online. This can make mental health difficulties worse.

We sometimes find the internet and social media upsetting, which can trigger mental health setbacks. We cannot always control or predict what we see. We may be shown unwanted negative content or find ourselves in extreme situations, which affects our self-esteem and ability to cope. Younger children are at even greater risk as they are still learning.

We are often looking out for online threats. We try to develop the skills and knowledge to prevent online problems or to deal with them better. Still, we find it hard to know what to expect, how we might be affected and how to bounce back.

We feel it’s down to us to manage our digital lives. While we may feel proud of what we can cope with, we may also feel alone when dealing with difficult situations and unsure how to turn for support. This becomes harder if we are the target of ill-intended attention aimed to harm us.

We rarely seek help or advice from people we know when we have difficulties online. We are afraid of being misunderstood, punished or blamed for things going wrong. So we may find ways to keep our digital experiences private, away from parents, teachers, therapists and even peers. Still, we want to find help when we need it, and advise others not to try to DIY mental health.

We want the internet and social media to be made into more friendly and supportive spaces. We want to be able to talk about our online experiences. We want our therapists and other trusted adults to understand our digital lives better while also respecting our privacy.