A brand new research report by youth mental health service ReachOut highlights how a social media ban could cut young people off from vital mental health support, including finding that 73 per cent of young people in Australia turn to social media when it comes to support for their mental health.
Based on research with over 2000 young people, the report found a range of benefits for young people seeking mental health support via social media (predominantly TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram). 66 per cent of young people surveyed reported increased awareness about their mental health because of relevant content they accessed via social media, 47 per cent said they had looked for information about how to get professional mental health support on social media, and 40 per cent said they sought professional support after viewing mental health information on social media.
Importantly, half of young people with a probable mental health condition said that they were searching for mental health information or support on social media because they don’t have access to professional support.
However, young people also highlighted a range of concerns about social media via the research. 38 per cent were deeply concerned about harmful mental health content they have come across on platforms, and 43 per cent of the young people who sought support online were deeply concerned about the addictive nature of social media.
The report highlights young people’s calls for social media to be safer. They want: an end to addictive features like infinite scroll, more control over the content they see, better labeling of mental health information from credible sources, better education, and more mental health information provided across platforms.
CEO of ReachOut, Gary Groves, said that the new report provides important new research in this space and brings young people’s voices into a debate that they have been largely absent from.
“ReachOut’s new research report illustrates how young people across Australia are using social media platforms to look for mental health information to reassure them, for condition-related information and for coping strategies. In many cases young people are feeling relief or going on to get further support.
“However young people have not sugar coated their experiences of social media – they highlight the many pitfalls and dangers. These experiences have informed the practical solutions they have suggested to make social media platforms safer.
“As we can see from this research, social media is increasingly the front door to the mental health system for young people. We need reforms that make it safer and easier for young people to access support in the moments they need it, not cut them off from mental health support.
“For reform to be effective we need to bring the voices and experiences of young people front and center, including, via rich research insights like those in this new report,” he said.
Access the full report Harnessing the feed: social media for mental health information and support here.
For information and support young people can visit ReachOut and parents and carers can visit ReachOut Parents.
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