OPINION: Has social media helped us open up about mental health?

Psychological well being performs an enormous function in our general well being and properly being. But, there’s nonetheless a stigma behind it. Conversations about psychological well being are one thing that many people have tried to keep away from. 

Nevertheless, lately it has grow to be increasingly frequent for people to open up about psychological well being. By means of social media there have been numerous posts shared with assets, private tales and motivational posts to indicate assist. The content material that has been shared helps to normalize the dialogue of psychological well being and psychological sickness and break the stigma behind it. 

Social media isn’t all that unhealthy. Like all the things in life, there are execs and cons. Nevertheless, social media has given people a platform to open up and share their tales and experiences and this has grow to be more and more extra frequent. With about 4.62 billion social media customers, the posts we share have the potential for reaching extra folks than we may think about.

The hashtag #mentalhealth on Instagram has over 36,000,000 posts. Below the hashtag, there are posts of vital reminders, assets, inspiration and private experiences of others. On social media, many people repost and share the inspirational messages and assets on their tales and feeds for folks in their very own life to see.  

On TikTok, the hashtag #mentalhealth has 35.3 billion views and #mentalhealthmatters has 17.5 billion views. Many movies underneath these hashtags are brief, uplifting TikToks, private tales and assets out there to assist. 

We by no means know who’s struggling and who the posts would possibly assist. The Nationwide Alliance of Psychological well being studies that 21% of adults within the U.S. are affected by psychological sickness. Merely reposting an inventory of psychological well being assets or sharing that you’re somebody who cares can have a constructive affect on the folks round us. It’s vital to indicate assist and understanding to those that may be struggling. 

Many social media customers have been flooding the platforms with useful and informative posts. By doing this they’re opening up conversations and serving to to make social media a extra constructive and secure area. These secure areas on social media may also help customers discover assets and really feel much less alone with what they’re going by way of. 

A examine achieved by the Journal of Schooling and Well being Promotion studied campaigns and posts on numerous social media platforms to search out if social media is an efficient device for rising psychological well being consciousness. 

Their conclusion acknowledged, “Utilizing social media platforms to conduct psychological well being campaigns is an efficient initiative as one can attain out to many individuals over a short while body. With the assistance of expertise, contributors may just about be part of the marketing campaign simply. There’s an rising pattern in psychological well being consciousness by successfully utilizing digital media as an info dissemination platform.” 

The extra open we’re the extra we discuss how we’re doing mentally, the extra others will really feel much less alone. Social media is highly effective: let’s use it in a method to assist and assist one another. 

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Julianna is a senior majoring in journalism and sociology. She enjoys writing and reporting on matters associated to psychological and bodily well being and wellness.