Mental Health

Mental health issues on social media, who is talking?

Delaney Ruston, MD
January 24, 2017

TECH TALK TUESDAY #51: MENTAL HEALTH ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WHO IS TALKING?

Woman on a laptop

The other day I was on a plane sitting next to a YouTube employee and we discussed that we both noticed that teens and young adults are posting more often about mental health issues. The woman told me that many famous YouTubers are talking about their own mental health challenges. For instance, YouTuber Lacie Green, talked about her own depression in this courageous video. The site The Mighty is also a great resource.

This made me think about my own two teens who both have rich emotional lives—full of ups and downs (like most of us on this planet). From this conversation I realized I wanted to talk more with them about how they and their friends communicate on social media and via text about their mental health. What do they find helpful and what is not helpful?

For Tech Talk Tuesday this week let’s talk about how we use social media to discuss, learn or share emotional issues:

  • Are there any YouTubers you follow or sites you go to that discuss mental health issues?
  • Did any of these sites, or people,  ever help you?
  • Do you think people in your social media circle reveal too much about their emotional state or too little?

As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel

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Mental Health

Mental health issues on social media, who is talking?

Delaney Ruston, MD
January 24, 2017

TECH TALK TUESDAY #51: MENTAL HEALTH ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WHO IS TALKING?

Woman on a laptop

The other day I was on a plane sitting next to a YouTube employee and we discussed that we both noticed that teens and young adults are posting more often about mental health issues. The woman told me that many famous YouTubers are talking about their own mental health challenges. For instance, YouTuber Lacie Green, talked about her own depression in this courageous video. The site The Mighty is also a great resource.

This made me think about my own two teens who both have rich emotional lives—full of ups and downs (like most of us on this planet). From this conversation I realized I wanted to talk more with them about how they and their friends communicate on social media and via text about their mental health. What do they find helpful and what is not helpful?

For Tech Talk Tuesday this week let’s talk about how we use social media to discuss, learn or share emotional issues:

  • Are there any YouTubers you follow or sites you go to that discuss mental health issues?
  • Did any of these sites, or people,  ever help you?
  • Do you think people in your social media circle reveal too much about their emotional state or too little?

As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel

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for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.  

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