Emma’s campaign during her term as a Somerset Members of Youth Parliament is called ‘Young People and Social Media’ and aims to promote more positive use of social media to help reduce the effect on young people’s mental health. In this article, Emma tells us why she chose her topic.
Why did I choose this topic?
Social media is still in its early stages of development, but its popularity has skyrocketed in recent years; Young people chasing after the newest trends and dances, parents finding new recipes. We can’t deny that social media is a part of our daily lives but the strong correlation between the increased numbers of young people with mental health problems and social media really drew my attention. Throughout my campaign I aim to create resources to help young people with their awareness of the support that is out there.
Another large reason why I chose this topic was the negative way its perceived to young people. I strongly believe that this needs to be changed to also highlight the positives that it can bring for young people. I believe that we must put an emphasis on youth led work when looking through the issues of social media.
Emma
Somerset Youth Parliament campaigns
Each Member of Youth Parliament works on a campaign during their term, which is supported by their Deputies and the Advisory Group. It allows us to understand what changes young people want to see in the communities they live in and makes sure that those views are heard by Somerset’s decision makers.
To find out more about our Member of Youth Parliament’s campaigns visit our Campaigns page.
