Social media lies at the very core of communication today for teens and young people. It is an important platform where people can get in contact with friends, share moments of their personal time, and express their opinions. While an excellent tool for support and connection, it is also a contributing factor to exacerbated mental health issues, like those of suicidal thoughts.
In fact, the relationship between social media use and suicide is complex, including both positive and harmful components. Consequently, it demands an understanding of this balance that will be required to protect vulnerable individuals as we progress through this sensitive interplay between mental health and online activity.
POSITIVE POTENTIAL OF SOCIAL MEDIA
One of the most powerful resources in social media is its power of spreading awareness. Such platforms, along with public health campaigns, may provide a critical role in breaking the stigma associated with talking about mental health and suicide. Celebrities and influencers, along with the average man and woman in the street, have made statements regarding their own mental health struggles, which in turn have spurred others to tell their stories.
There are those campaigns, like #WorldMentalHealthDay and #SuicidePrevention, which have been able to get large groups together and create a space where one can find resources, talk about their experience, or get the help they need, thus being a hopeful and connecting space.
For most people who consider suicide, social media could be that lifeline which enables them to get contact with others who will prove to be supportive in some way or another. These online spaces most importantly offer a place for people to be emotive where the threat of judgment from others is minimal, and in this sense, access can be quite important for those who are geographically, economically, and socially excluded from face-to-face mental health support services. Contact with membership forums is another important means of gaining emotional support: one is not alone, nor smothered, by one's situation.
Social media sites also act as a helpful gateway to resources and services for mental health, as many organizations utilize the sites to provide information about crisis intervention programs and hotlines. Advertisements on creating awareness about mental health and the availability of treatments can go viral in minimum time and reach a considerable amount of people, thus being highly timely.
Facebook and Instagram, among others, have implemented tools that will link resources to individuals that appear to be exhibiting suicidal behavior. These are based on reported posts by others and may include hotlines or other means of reaching mental health professionals. Such interventions may prove to be critical in the prevention of tragedy, as calls for help during such pivotal moments may be the result of such interventions.
THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON SUICIDAL IDEATION
Cyberbullying is one of the fastest-growing problems that may cause extreme damage to mental health in victims, particularly among younger generations. This is actually a threatening, harassing, and insulting action through the medium of digitization. Social media anonymity usually contributes to this type of behavior.
Victims of cyberbullying might feel like they are under some sort of endless abuse not confined within the concrete walls of school or office and suffer serious repercussions to their mental health. Tragically, cyberbullying has also caused victims-particularly youngsters-to commit suicide.
Research has shown that young adults who use social media more frequently are three times as likely to develop depression, as constant exposure to other people's curated lives can evoke feelings of inadequacy and might even lead some to suicide. Such pressures for an ideal online image might heighten the already existing problems in their mental health. The consequences are feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, and distress, which might force vulnerable individuals into seeking relief and moving further down their emotional spiral.
Suicide in online communities is at times romanticized or portrayed as an act to be carried out for being troubled in life. Some forums and websites discuss methods of suicide or might encourage users into harmful activity by making the approach seem no more dangerous than any other. While social media platforms do much in the way of monitoring and regulating such content, these materials can sometimes slip through the cracks and disturbing discussions and images continue to flow freely. This may be worst when algorithms put forward engaging content-usually sensational or extreme-which reaches users who are already at their wit's end.
HOW TO DEAL WITH IT
Platform Regulation
It's about time social media companies take their responsibility around malicious content moderation more seriously. Although most of the platforms have taken laudable steps in that direction, much more needs to be done to prevent suicide-related materials and misinformation about mental health.
Companies need to invest in sophisticated algorithms and human moderators who respond quickly to reports of abusive or harmful behavior. They should also develop mental health kits, whereby artificial intelligence-powered systems alert them to alarming behavior and get the students immediate access to relevant resources.
Digital Literacy
Education also plays a protective role against the dark side of social media. Parents, teachers, and mental health professionals should ensure that young people are aware of how to use the internet safely. This may be through knowing the signs of cyberbullying, understanding the comparison culture and its associated risks, and knowing where to get help when needed. Encouraging more digital literacy allows people to identify signs that someone may be struggling with their mental health and refer them to support services.
Encourage Open Communication
Open communication can be achieved by offering the necessary environment that will give people the opportunity to discuss their problems in both physical and cyberspaces. Promotion of open conversations about suicide and normalization of conversations can make people feel less lonely and supported. It is now the job of everybody—families, communities, and friends—to try to provide safe spaces where people feel free to express themselves without judgment while at the same time encouraging responsible usage of social media that puts well-being first.
Healthy Device Management
Set clear boundaries for screen time and encourage breaks from social media. That means setting a good example by checking your online habits and encouraging others to go on healthy breaks too.
Encourage Offline Relationships
Encourage real-life relationships, hobbies, and outdoor activities in order to make people, especially the youth, think that social media is just a part of life and not superior to good, significant human interaction.
Social media is linked to suicide in a very complex manner. While social media can provide opportunities for awareness and support, it also carries risks contributing to mental health problems. We can create a supportive online community and facilitate access to mental health resources that help reduce suicides and support people in crisis. It will take users, platforms, and mental health professionals collaborating toward one objective: to make the digital world safer and more supportive. If you're struggling, you are not alone; there is help available to you.