“I think social media plays a big part in mental health barriers that teens face today. With all the expectations and false realities on social media, it can be hard to feel confident and comfortable. For many years, I would feel pressured to make my instagram posts and feed look perfect, and I would even contemplate deleting posts if they didn’t get enough likes. This can have a bad effect on your mental health because worrying about your social media content could cause a lot of unneeded stress and anxiety.
The past year has taught me that it is okay to take some time to regroup, relax and practice self care. For a long time, I hated staying home and being by myself, so it was really difficult for me when the lockdown started. I felt as if I was missing out when I stayed home and hung out by myself or with my parents, but after some time I realized that spending time with yourself is very important for your mental health.
Taking time to be by myself gave me time to reflect on my days, experiences and myself as a person. I used this time to start practicing good self care habits. I picked up reading as a hobby because I find it very relaxing. I am so grateful I learned how to find time for myself in the past year.
Technology is used in many ways to promote mental health, but so far my favorite form of promotion is through Instagram. Instagram is very interactive and has many beneficial features that make it easy for viewers to be engaged and give responses. I also love seeing accounts posting inspirational art on their accounts. Seeing positive quotes and sayings while I’m scrolling through Instagram is really inspiring and makes me feel good. I also love when I see a great post being shared on other people stories. Instagram is a great outlet for reposting positive posts and promoting mental health awareness.”
— Haven
Featured Story: Haven
