• by Elizabeth Elfenbein , Columnist, October 3, 2017

Raising children is hard enough, and today’s socially fueled world has added a whole new kind of complexity, one that is riddled with mental health issues. One could say that mental health has always been a challenge in society; however, if you do the research, the impact of a decade of social media on mental health is mind-blowing. 

Just as social media manifests outwardly in the form of instantaneous acceptance (in the form of “likes”), it can also manifest inwardly in the form of low self-esteem. The Mental Health Foundation in the United Kingdom suggests that social media can lead a person to compare their life unfavorably with other people’s lives as well as use others’ posts to measure success and failure in their own life. 

The impact of this can be catastrophic feelings of low self-esteem resulting in negative “I am” statements, such as “I am never going to be able to be like that person” or “I am never going to be able to do that.” Low self-esteem is not the only negative result of the high level of social media use. In a study that looked at how best to establish a healthy balance between real-time relationships and virtual connections, psychologist Paula Durlofsky demonstrated a correlation between social media use and depression. 

Building a community of esteem 

When our children leave for college, they leave with a sense of independence, a newfound freedom, one that they will build on for the next four years in preparation of entering the real world and, ultimately, the work force. When we think about this life stage, is it possible for the social world to converge with the real world to help them build healthy independence? 

We can’t undo the damage to our children’s minds and their sense of self-worth that social media has done to date. We can, however, think differently about how to use it to activate something more positive: mental wellness. 

If you can’t beat social media, hack it

Maybe we need to hack social media to encourage a new kind of healthy behavior—one that follows and likes positive things; one that unites and builds empathy instead of just building followers; one that builds health esteem, both individually and collectively. This world of health esteem would be a world where kids and adults build self-acceptance and esteem, helping to break the stigmas surrounding mental health issues. 

Build acceptance

I Am Acceptance is a powerful not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote mental health and empower students to take control of their mental wellness. Its “I Am Acceptance College Tour” seeks to be a solution to the isolation that occurs when one suffers from mental health issues. I Am Acceptance recognizes that the transition period in college is rife with internal complexities so it has created an organization built around helping drive acceptance and openness about mental health issues so that students won’t feel like they have to hide their condition, or feel the shame and stigma associated with suffering from a mental health illness. 

Hear me. Understand me. Respect me. And accept me.

I Am Acceptance also recognizes that everyone deserves to be heard, understood, respected, and accepted. At the same time, it also understands that it can’t undo all of the things that can affect mental health, such as social media. So instead of erasing social media, it decided to hack it to create a means of self-expression that would not only build self-acceptance, but would foster “health esteem” in the process. 

Its new “health esteem” social initiative was launched on Instagram through its College Acceptance Ambassadors during back-to-school season at colleges across the country. Its goal is to leverage the ambassadors’ influence to drive paying mental wellness forward. @health_esteem is a place where college students can express themselves freely and feel heard and accepted. They can post their truth that other students can relate to. And they can build health esteem by connecting with others and by spreading mental wellness. This initiative will be year-round with the intent to activate a community of students who support this cause.

Paying positivity forward

Chances are you or someone you know has experienced or will experience a mental health concern. So be aware and show that you care. And remember: self-acceptance equals health esteem, and vice versa.