Tips to help youth avoid social comparison
Social comparison is an unfortunate part of the social mediaexperience, but there are things you can encourage youngpeople to do to avoid it:
The break can be for a few days, hours, or weeks. No matter the length oftime, it will help give them a break from what they see online.
While social media is great for building relationships virtually, it doesn’treplace our need for face-to-face interaction and connection to others.Hanging out with friends or talking on the phone is a good way to combatthe loneliness they may experience when scrolling on social media.
Have them think about what on social media makes them feel bad aboutthemselves, scared, anxious, or lonely. Remind them that it’s always OK tomute, snooze, unfollow, block, and report harmful posts and accounts.Also, remind them that they do not need to react to, respond, or engagewith posts that make them uncomfortable.
Teach them that they can find validation within themselves instead ofseeking it from others online. They can reflect on their own lives – whatmakes them proud, what they love about themselves, their goals, hopes,and dreams.
Someone’s life on social media is only a fraction of what their life is reallylike. Reminding young people that what they see online isn’t alwaysaccurate and that they can create real and valuable experiences offlinewill help them cope with social comparison.
Take a mental health test
Online screening is one of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition
Where to Start
Our book "Where to Start" tackles the issues you might see during this return to school with a jargon-free approach to understanding mental health.