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Mental Health and Safety
Everyone has mental health. Just like physical health, it requires care and attention, as well as a specific diet - of self-care and self-love! While these things can be difficult (just like a diet for our bodies!), they are really important for us to function and to be of a sound mind. Of course, there are some things that get in the way of us taking care of our mental health, and thats perfectly okay. However, its essential to take as much care of it as possible.
How can being online help my mental health?
There are many different reasons as to how being online can help with mental health.
Health information. Its relatively easy to access information in regards to mental health. Some people research health problems a lot and find that it helps (however, self-diagnosing can be harmful and it could be a good idea to remember that only a medical professional can properly diagnose us with any kind of issue!). Another thing to keep in mind is that not all information is correct/accurate - I will leave some key questions further on in the forum that could help us decide whether certain information is accurate!
Other peoples experiences. Its often possible to find people who have had a similar experience with mental health online - this can feel really empowering, knowing that youre not alone in how you feel and someone else has gone through something similar!
Connecting with new people. There are some online communities which offer support (like us here at 7 Cups). Some people really do find it easier to communicate with a stranger online than in person or over the phone. Some people also find that they can be more honest about their situation by being anonymous.
Raising awareness. Sharing your own experiences online is a big way of raising awareness for mental health. Furthermore, your experiences could help motivate other people to seek support, or to even share their own stories!
Some key questions to ask yourself in regards to health could be…
Who has written it and why?
How reliable are they?
When was it written, is it up to date?
Are they a biased website?
Is this a personal opinion or factual information? Whats true for someone else may not be true for me!
Is it relevant to how I feel and my situation?
"How can being online damage my mental health?
While being online can be partially good for your mental health, there might be times where using things like social media can have a negative impact on your mental health.
Comparing yourself to others. Spending a lot of time on social media could lead to you comparing yourself to other people. This can effectively damage your self-esteem, and how you perceive your own life. If you find this is happening to you, it could be a good idea to take a break from, or just limiting your time spent on, the respective sites/social media platforms!
Feeling overwhelmed. Being a friend to people online can feel awesome, but caring for someone who is going through a difficult time can also feel overwhelming and stress us out, which could affect our own wellbeing. As said previously, our mental health requires a balanced diet of self-love and self-care to work efficiently!
Feeling stressed/anxious. You might feel pressured to constantly check your phone for a like or a tell (social media is so complex! :D), which can cause stress or anxiety.
Difficulty sleeping. For quite a few people, spending lots of time on social media at night can negatively impact our sleeping patterns and could as a result affect our education and mental health.
"How does mental health affect my safety online?"
Sometimes, mental health as a whole can be confusing. This is supported by the common belief that having mental health is when you have mental health issues - which is wrong! Everyone has mental health as stated previously: we wouldn't function without it. Protecting mental health is essential.
Accidental searches. Sometimes, we can type something in and find something that we did not expect. These days, even something as innocent as a childrens programme can be manipulated into something highly traumatising for a child. These things can be truly scarring, even for young adults. How can we counteract this? Putting on safe search could be a good option. This is where any mature content is filtered out of the search and as a result, no unexpected links or images would appear!
Easygoing happiness. Good days can lead to confidence, and thats good. Good days are better than bad days after all! Or, are they? Naturally, they are of course! However, there are times where a good start can lead to a bad ending. 7 Cups is all about support, of course - but at the same time, we incorporate anonymity… Sometimes people can feel so positive that they become slightly more trusting in people, and as a result personal information might spill out. How can we counteract this? This is a tricky one. Sometimes all we can do is to remember that safety rules/guidelines are there for a reason - we promote anonymity because being anonymous can help members to reach out for support. As a community, we promote all internet safety guidelines (including but not limited to, not sharing personal info, never to meet up with people from the internet etc.) - why? If there were no such guidelines in place, 7 Cups (and every other online platform) would run wild. Online safety guidelines are kind of like country laws - they keep things in order!
Other opinions. We post things on social media all the time, and when someone comments something nice, its not only super kind, but it can really boost our self-esteem levels! However, there are some people who voice their negative opinions on things, and its completely normal to feel offended or even annoyed - anyone would! Of course, this can be detrimental to mental health as it can affect our own way of perceiving ourselves. How can we counteract this? It could be a good idea to remember that removing comments and blocking people is easier than to start a flame war. Its a lot more simple, efficient, and it can save a lot of trouble. Always think before you post.
Actions. Sometimes, actions can influence how we act in certain situations. For example, drinking heavily and then accessing 7 Cups (disclaimer: 7 Cups heavily discourages underage drinking) could lead to other members safety being compromised. Of course, being under the influence of alcohol alters mental health and that henceforth has a negative effect on safety. How can we counteract this? It would be easy to say, dont drink and access 7 Cups but thats very simple and general. Occasionally it could be generally a good idea to take a breather and again, think before you type - if its not supportive or kind, dont press that send button!
Health Information. As stated before, its possible to access health information from the internet these days. The internet truly is a great place! However, reading up about certain conditions can lead to us developing the symptoms (its super common and happens to everyone) - as a result of developing the symptoms, we can feel convinced that theres something wrong, therefore damaging our mental health! How can we counteract this? It could be a good idea to remember that (again), only a medical professional can diagnose us with any type of issue, be it physical or mental.
Mental Disorders. As a lot of people know, mental disorders can severely affect mental health, and as a result, safety online. There are a range of different disorders, such as ADHD, anxiety, bipolar, depression, OCD, schizophrenia - the list is endless. Sometimes, some people with any respective mental health disorder may not be able to keep themselves (or others) safe online, be it through statements or their own actions - it can be really hard for them to identify whats safe and what isnt. How can we counteract this? This again, is tricky. What could be a good idea is to be mindful of other people and to be aware that not everyone is completely aware of what is happening around them. As a team and a community it is really important to support each other and to embrace equality.
Connecting with new people. Of course, this is great. Making new friends, experiencing new things; Im still friends with someone I met on a game 5 years ago! However, some people are unfortunately not who they seem. Some people who suffer from a mental health disorder (or people who are vulnerable in any way) can be seriously affected by these cases. How can we counteract this? This is a tricky one. One of the best things that we could do is, never share any information about ourselves online and especially never ever agree to meet up with anyone online.
Conclusively, being online can be super helpful for young people. There are so many different things available: health information, games, online chat rooms - even active listening services like 7 Cups. However, there are some things to be mindful of, such as making new friends over social media and accessing certain (and unreliable) health information. Thank you for reading, have a great weekend, teens!
Credit to some third-party information, and formatting style goes to mind.org.uk [https://mind.org.uk]
Team Taglist: @AriannaPink @Heather225 @RebekahRebel @snailpurple
