What's the story?
Social media started as a way of connecting people with their friends and family with just one click. So even if your bestie moved to a foster family miles away, you could still feel close to them through photo-sharing, videos and messages. Now it has become a way of comparing everything – lifestyles, appearances, fashion, hobbies – and it can be hard if you think you don’t measure up.
FOMO
Fear of Missing Out – aka FOMO – is a very real issue when it comes to social media. A simple scroll through Instagram could make you feel low or sad because your friends are enjoying a fun day out or going to see your favourite band.
Recently, a study of young people said that those who use social media a lot were three times more likely to feel down and miserable than those who use it less often. Remember, seeing too much of other people’s ‘perfect’ lives can be bad for you.
HAPPY SMILEY PEOPLE
Everyone tends to look so happy, don’t they? It may seem like they’re living their best lives and it only takes a second to smile, pose and choose a filter, but it doesn’t mean that person is having a great time, all of the time.
CRAVING LIKES
Of course, it’s OK to want to share what you’re doing and use social media as a way of keeping family and friends up to date with your life. But don’t get stressed out about the number of likes you’ve got or whether that cute guy or girl has commented on your latest picture.
CYBERBULLYING
Posting too much online can attract negative comments as well as likes and compliments. It can sometimes lead to cyberbullying too. Try to remember that the most important thing is to like and respect yourself first!
Most people – including your fave celebrities – like to show the highlights from their lives, rather than the boring, everyday stuff. In fact, we usually post when we’re on a high and feeling good, and we scroll other people’s feeds when we’re bored or a bit low. Seeing so much ‘perfection’ when you’re already feeling down can make you feel worse.
HOW CAN I GET HELP?
If social media is making you feel down – give yourself a break! Don’t pick up your phone to look at it AGAIN, go and to play with that little kid in your foster family, stroke the dog, kick a football around or tell your foster carer what happened at school (you know how much they’re always asking you about it!).
If you’re feeling really down, ask for help – your foster carers and your social worker are there to support you!