The good, the bad and the ugly.
Social media influences are everywhere. It’s a part of our everyday life in so many ways. If you use a phone or laptop, you’ll probably use social media daily.

It would be easy to paint a dark and gloomy picture of the negative influences of social media on young people. It sometimes seems that almost everything bad that happens is down to social media. However, the reality is so much more complex than that.

We use social media for different reasons. It might be to connect with others, get ideas and inspiration, to follow trends or to do some shopping. We might use it to keep up to date on what’s going on in music, the arts or politics. The list goes on.

If you’re living with a chronic health condition you might also use it to keep updated on what others living with your condition are doing to live well. You might follow charities or research bodies working in the field.

Some suggestions of what is both helpful and unhelpful when using social media to help you manage your physical and mental health.

Positives

• Sharing correct information, for example breakthroughs in research, clinical trials, where to get support.
• Being able to connect with people around the country or world that have the same condition, similar experience to you.
• Sharing medical triumphs with other people that understand your condition.
• Being able to help others with questions and queries, especially those with a new diagnosis.
• Being able to get practical and emotional support from other people who have similar experiences.
• Opportunities to do creative and collaborative things around your condition (Blogs, memes, films).
• It can have a positive impact on you emotionally if you connect with supportive people or find information helpful and or reassuring.

Negatives

• Information and advice may be inaccurate if it’s from an unreliable source.
• Some posts may be deliberately misleading or designed to discredit trusted sources of information.
• Some posts may promote treatment options that haven’t been clinically or ethically approved.
• Oversharing and the need for attention could lead to being exploited or misled.
• Can make you feel inadequate in the context of your condition if you are feeling vulnerable.

Advice for safe use of social media related to your health condition.

• Look for trusted organisations/ charities to follow.
• Question something that seems to be too good to be true and get the views of others you trust. E.g. family, medical team.
• Try and talk to family, friends or your medical team about things you come across that make you feel worried or unsure about.
• Take a break! It’s important to give yourself time away from social media. It can feel tempting to keep checking but time away can help give perspective.