In Conversation With Jo Love
On July 5th in London online influencers are coming together for an interactive panel discussion to talk about the issue of mental health on social media. Influencers have been thrown into a position of responsibility with their followers. The ‘Becoming A First Listener’ event will equip influencers with a digital “Mental Health First Aid Kit”. Empowering them with the correct tools and resources to become a “First Listener” — so they can better support themselves and their community with some of the mental health challenges that occur. We’ve interviewed one of our panelists, Natasha Bailie for her views on mental health and social media.
- Why is raising awareness of mental health so important to you?
Having experienced postnatal depression myself firsthand, and the devastating effects it can have, I felt passionately people needed to be having more conversations about PND. Raising awareness of issues like PND can make women who are suffering feel more supported and less alone — which I think is one of the most difficult things about it, feeling like you’re not supposed to talk about what you’re feeling can only worsen your symptoms.
2. What extra challenges do you think social media has created for mental well-being?
For all the benefits, Social media can undoubtedly equally negatively impact on your mental health. The constant barrage of perfectly filtered photos that appear on Instagram are bound to knock many people’s self-esteem, while obsessively checking your Twitter feed just before bed could be contributing towards poor quality of sleep.
3. What advantages has social media had in conversations about mental health?
Social media can act as a great tool for people to be able to speak openly about their struggles in a way that perhaps they might not feel comfortable doing in real life. It also allows people who might be suffering alone easy access tools, tips and resources that they might not ordinarily find, or it can just help them feel that little bit less alone. Mental health conditions, particularly depression can make you feel incredibly alone and isolated.
4. As an online influencer, what issues do you notice within your community that you would like support with?
Dealing with maternal mental health women who follow me tend to want to feel less alone, like they haven’t failed and how to access certain services such as therapy.
5. What one thing do you think bloggers and influencers can do to better support their own mental health or that of their followers?
Having clear boundaries on what you can and can’t do for people really helps. I am not an expert and can only tell people my experiences which may or may not help them. I think also being accessible but not “always on” helps protect my own mental health and helps me switch off. I also try to signpost people to places they can access support as often as possible, and also if a post is particularly triggering, for example when I am talking about suicide — I will clearly label the post with a trigger warning so people can avoid reading it should they wish to.
