It did not escape you: this Monday, January 16, we are in full “Blue Monday”, namely the most depressing day of the year. A concept invented by marketing agencies but which is not based on any scientific basis, it nevertheless makes it possible to address themes around mental health, including depression. Anxiety, low self-esteem, depression… Feelings that are not foreign, especially in the age of social networks. Numerous studies have pointed out for several years the links between these negative feelings and social networks, in particular among young people.
Instagram and Facebook which admit to having an impact on the self-esteem of young teenage girls, Tik Tok which can promote content promoting anorexia or self-harm, Twitter and its violent responses… Social networks are increasingly accused of destroy the sanity of its users. In the United States, Seattle public school officials even filed a complaint in 2022 against platforms like Facebook or Tik Tok, accusing them of “attacks” on the mental health of the youngest. But should we be so alarmist?
For Aude Caria, director of Psycom – Mental Health Info, national mental health information agency, “social networks have a paradoxical effect, that is to say, they do good and harm at the same time”. The question is not to demonize the networks, according to her: “They can expose us to content that makes us feel good or not. If, for example, this leads to comparing oneself to unattainable standards of beauty, this has an impact on self-esteem. But networks can also give the impression of being part of a community, with which we can exchange, which allows us to be informed, to educate ourselves, to find moral and social support,” she adds. In short, if the networks are not the absolute evil, it is their substitution for other activities that can pose a problem.
Between cyberbullying and disinformation, browsing online is not easy
In March 2020, when we were all confined, our screen time and use of Instagram, WhatsApp or Twitter exploded: according to a Social Life 2020 Harris Interactive study, 40% of French Internet users say they have created an account on a social network or an instant messaging application during confinement. “What has also increased is the fact of being present on several platforms at the same time” indicates Aude Caria. We would thus be more exposed to different content via different platforms, which would take us more time. “This time is not used to do anything else that can do us good: physical activity, being in contact with nature, meeting friends or having fun,” adds the director of Psycom.
Another major issue, when we talk about the links between mental health and social networks, is that of cyberbullying. Last November, a survey by the association e-Enfance pointed out that 60% of 18-25 year olds have already been victims of cyberbullying: virtual violence with very real consequences. The victims of cyber-violence, mainly women and minority people, thus suffer from sleep disorders, appetite disorders, despair, which can go as far as suicide.
Mental health issues have become increasingly discussed in the public and media space, including on the networks. “It is part of the public debate. Even on a professional network like LinkedIn, there have been quite a few testimonials of burnout, which is interesting in terms of the taboo that this subject can represent. It’s the sign that a voice is freeing itself, with a generational effect” emphasizes Aude Caria. However, this alerts to a certain misinformation present online, which would lead to “commercial abuses” or practices that are not scientifically validated.
Do you have to do a digital detox to be happy?
So faced with a flood of negative and guilt-inducing information, burst notifications and smooth models on Instagram, do you really have to cut everything to find peace? For Aude Caria, it is above all necessary to listen to her emotions. “In life in general, are we in pain? Do we feel sad, more anxious than usual, do we sleep less well, do we tend to use more substances… Any changes in behavior or what we can say our loved ones is to be taken into account,” she says. If the digital detox, these weeks without smartphones, are in fashion, trying to cut yourself off from the networks can reveal or note your level of dependence or abusive use. “Individually, you can reduce your screen time, remove notifications, program a limited time per application…” adds Aude Caria. It can also go through a big cleaning of its news feed, favoring content that makes us feel good!
But for all that, our relationship to social networks is a social, economic and political issue. “Regulating content is the responsibility of platforms and legislators. There is a real issue of regulation of content producers but also of platforms” insists the director of Psycom. Another important point according to her: educating on how digital technology works, to identify the risks of manipulation and develop critical thinking. While awaiting a real platform regulation policy, there are nevertheless several resources to be mobilized for users, adults (and parents) and young people alike: the PsycomI’e-Childhood association, or numbers like Violences Femmes Info (3919) or 3018 against cyberviolence. And if notifications or likes overwhelm us, it’s better to turn everything off, to protect yourself.