Using social media has plenty of potential benefits for young people: it helps them stay connected to their friends, hear contrasting views on the world, find reassurance or support, and ease social anxiety. It also brings, however, a corresponding number of negative possibilities – including compulsive use, unhealthy comparisons with others online and exposure to harmful content. Ironically – for a medium designed to enable engagement with other people – social platforms can actually lead to children feeling increasingly isolated and lonely, taking an obvious toll on their mental wellbeing. This week’s NOS #WakeUpWednesday guide has top tips on how trusted adults can support healthier social media habits in young people.

According to Ofcom’s 2022 Media Use and Attitudes report, six out ten children who use social media say that it makes them feel happy (59%) or closer to their friends (61%) “all or most of the time”. By the same token, eight out of ten children were aware of other people being mean or unkind on social media, with 89% feeling pressure to be popular on the platforms they frequent. That, in a nutshell, is a key dichotomy of social media: it’s simultaneously an avenue to closeness and connectivity, yet also an open door for threats to our happiness and self-esteem. It can be an especially difficult contrast for young people to deal with – but NOS’ #WakeUpWednesday guide has expert tips for helping them scratch that social media itch while still protecting their mental wellbeing.