Social Media and Mental Health & Wellbeing
Social media usage among children and teens is leading to mood and anxiety disorders; cyber bullying and behavioural addiction. That was what British youths told researchers in a 2018 study.
With more than 97% of adolescents classified as regular users of social media, attempts to help young people with their mental health and wellbeing must take these platforms into account.
2020 Dreams developed our powerful Social Media and Mental Health & Wellbeing workshops and training for that precise reason. Whether you are an educator, youth service provider, community leader or concerned parent, we can provide you with a high quality workshop, consultation or training package that will really make a positive difference in young people’s lives.
Why children and teens are vulnerable to social media harms
Social media doesn’t cause mental health issues or conflict between young people, but these dynamics often reveal themselves through social media platforms. With fewer emotional and mental resources than most adults, children and teens can get themselves into trouble.
For example, if a teenager hasn’t learned to manage their anger during interpersonal conflict, they could find themselves blocked by peeers and isolated online. If a child hasn’t learned about the perils of grooming and catfishing, they could be tricked into sending sexualised images to ‘friends’ via social media.
Older children and teenagers are rapidly developing in every way: psychologically, physically and socially. Social media impacts on all of these areas (e.g. self-esteem, body image, social group formation, etc.).
Young people are also increasingly forming and maintaining important relationships online. This need for connection puts them at risk of being duped, manipulated and even abused, with devastating impact to their mental health.
If we are serious about protecting the mental health and wellbeing of the young people we are responsible for, we have to put those social media safeguards in place as soon as possible. This will help them to make a healthy transition from passive consumers of social meda to active co-creators.
Some of the skills that young people need to develop include:
- Online time management (regulating screen time, getting enough sleep, etc.)
- Balancing online and ‘real world’ activities
- Managing conflict online (e.g. dealing with trolling and cyber bullying)
- Device security and privacy protection
- Recognising and managing anxiety and depression
- Finding support when issues occur on social media
2020 Dreams Social Media and Mental Health & Wellbeing Workshops
2020 Dreams Social Media and Mental Health & Wellbeing workshops provide safe and highly engaging content aimed at deepening young people’s awareness of the effects of social media on their mental health. They also enable students to learn and develop vital social skills that will help to protect them from online harms.
Our proven workshop format includes techniques such as student-led, open forum debate and situation-based role play exercises. These are both thought-stimulating and fun, enhancing the all-important learning process.
We are a very experienced workshop provider with many positive testimonials under our belt, from a range of schools and institutions. We can come to you anywhere in the UK and we also offer virtual alternatives through a range of online platforms.
Social Media and Mental Health Consultation and Training Packages Available
Do you need to empower your own staff or colleagues to deliver high quality social media and mental health education to young people? In that case, you might be interested in booking a consultation or training package. We can supply all the information and resources you need while training you in our effective engagement strategies.
As with our flexible workshops, social media and mental health training can be tailored to any specific context or educational goals you have.
To find out more or to make a booking, please contact our friendly team. Call 0800 471 4983 or email hello@2020dreams.org.uk
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