Member of Somerset Youth Parliament Emma Brown’s campaign is on Young People and Social Media, and this past month she has been researching age and the impact of social media, with an increase of younger users and the impact of the type of contact that they might see it is impacting the mental health of children and young people.

For my campaign on social media, this month, I’ve continued to focus on reading and researching key stats and figures. I’ve also been talking to many people about their experiences with social media. With a rise in mental health problems in teenagers, many campaigners are focusing on what companies can do, to best protect those under 18 who are using their apps.

Social media is widely age restricted to those who are 13 years old and over. However, apps are seeing increased usage for children aged 8 to 12 years old. This number keeps lowering which means more young people are being exposed to inappropriate or unsafe content and all of the other dangers of being online, without being taught how to use it properly. I aim to increase education and awareness of social media by helping and hoping that every school has access to resources which are then readily available for students across Somerset.

While researching I also focused on how the usage of social media can link to lower life satisfaction rates due to many teenagers drawing comparisons between their lives and the lives of those that they see online. These unrealistic influencers have caused many teenagers to have lower self-esteem, and many develop mental health problems. The more time spent on social media the lower life satisfaction, reported the BBC.

While you’re thinking about social media, just think ’do I need to take a break?’ a small ‘social media detox’ is a great way to help improve your mood while also giving you a chance to do some of your hobbies, like go on a walk or play a sport that you love.

If you’ re struggling and need support Tellmi and Kooth are great apps which are there to support you.

If you are interested in the subject of the usage of social media, here are some articles that I’ve read to help form my knowledge for my campaign:

• BBC – Children aged seven using social media regularly
• Ofcom – A window into young children’s online worlds

Emma

For more information on Emma’s campaign, as well as the campaigns of our other Somerset Members of Youth Parliament, visit the Our Campaigns page.