As we sit on social media in front of the TV in the evenings, we feel like we are better connected to our friends and colleagues than we’ve ever been before. In terms of our knowledge of their lives, that’s probably true. However on social media we show only the side of us that we want people to see. There is a pressure to always be happy, surrounded by friends, visiting interesting places or achieving new things.
Yet it is human nature to judge ourselves against the lives we see on our timelines and it is too easy to forget that in between the taking and sharing of those perfect photos will be a life no more interesting and no less challenging than our own. You’d be amazed at the impact this is having on mental health in our society – particularly amongst young people.
Head teachers needed policies to prevent bullying on the school premises but now they must grapple with the reality that they’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg during the seven hours that kids are at school. The really damaging stuff is happening in the other 17. Parents might switch off the wifi at night, block certain sites or ban phones, tablets and laptops from the bedroom. Yet that only sends a child to school in social purgatory the next day because they’re out of date on all the overnight news and gossip.
Parents, teachers and policy makers cannot hold back the tide on this desire for constant connection nor, sadly, can we do much about the ebb and flow of teenage friendships. But we can make sure that we equip our kids with the confidence in themselves to understand that social media is not a reflection of reality and that self-worth is not measured by the number of likes your latest Instagram post received.