Navigating the Mental Health Impacts of Social Media

Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives, but its impact on mental health is a growing concern. Quiip’s General Manager, Larah Kennedy, recently joined podcast host Andrés López-Varela, Julian Pace (founder of Happiness Co) and Tess Palmyre (co-founder of Brandable) to discuss tools & approaches for addressing the risks. 

In Episode 6, “Mental Health and Social Media” of The Alchemists – a limited-series podcast from State of Social – the panel explores the impact of social platforms on mental health and how digital professionals (including social media managers, community managers & digital marketers) can navigate these challenges.

The challenge of being online

While social media provides many positive opportunities to foster connection and community,  social media engagement can also lead to isolation, division and retreat from real-life interaction. Users often measure their lives against carefully curated feeds, contributing to anxiety, depression, feelings of inadequacy, and a range of health & well-being concerns.

Platform algorithms can also influence users, creating echo chambers that amplify biases and distort reality. Educating users on mindful social media use is vital. By understanding algorithms, filters and built-in biases of these platforms, users can make more informed decisions about their engagement.

This is especially difficult for digital professionals, who need to be mindful of how their own time spent online may unintentionally contribute to this. It’s our responsibility to create safe and inclusive spaces while managing the spread of micro-aggressions and harmful behaviours online.

Effects on digital professionals 

Professionals working in social media and marketing face heightened risks, often leading to burnout. From addressing hate speech to tackling misinformation, the pressures of moderating online content are impacting mental health, highlighting the need for a considered and structured approach to both the industry and personal well-being.

Social media and online community managers, in particular, often aim to remain constantly connected, which, at times, can be overwhelming.

I do think we have an industry issue. It’s a little bit wild what we expect of social media managers, and you need safety nets”, said Larah Kennedy.

Magnifying the problem is the sheer volume of content to monitor and moderate, including even bots which can generate content and chat amongst themselves.

To address this, both industry and business need to put in place stronger safeguards. These can include introducing dedicated teams of moderators, structured times for moderation checks or restructuring the hours an employee works to ensure they’re not always ‘on.’ 

In August 2024, Australia notably also introduced the ‘right to disconnect,’ allowing eligible employees to refuse contact from employers or third parties outside of work hours in certain situations.

Supporting digital professionals

At Quiip, we work with a wide range of high-risk communities – including mental health, social services & the NDIS sector – and brands with large social media presences, so experiencing distressing content is unfortunately inevitable. 

Our moderator support tool-kit includes: 

• Access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Employees are allocated sessions annually, which can be any combination of coaching and therapy, with the option to request additional sessions anonymously.
• Sharing and encouraging digital hygiene habits. Team members are encouraged to adopt digital hygiene habits, such as disabling notifications, using app limiters or setting healthier boundaries around connectivity.
• Quiip’s Self Care protocol. The protocol provides clear steps for employees who encounter distressing content. This includes scheduling time with our EAP service, stepping away from the computer, or even taking a moment to breathe. 
• Mental Health Training. Teams working with particularly sensitive content or high-risk communities may also be supported to undertake Mental Health First Aid training, equipping them with the tools needed to manage challenges while moderating, equipping employees with the tools to manage challenges while moderating.

To support social media & online community managers across Australia, we have also developed a specialised workshop, “Resilience Training for Community & Social Media Managers”. The full-day workshop aims to provide social media, customer care & online community professionals with a safe space for discussion of the challenges and introduces key tools & resources to build resilience and well-being. 

By adopting more mindful practices, we can navigate social media in a way that supports our well-being.

Listen to the full podcast here, or wherever you get your podcasts from: https://thealchemists.transistor.fm/6 

If you are interested in our social media and online community management services — please get in touch.