Teenage Girls, Mental Health and the Media.

Former Member

Hi lovelies..

Here's the situation:

I am currently exploring ideas for a dissertation proposal at University. I am particularly interested in mental health. I think I have decided that for my dissertation I want to focus on how the media effects/influences the mental health of teenage girls.

I was wondering what were any of your thoughts on this issue? Do you think the media has a negative or positive influence? Do you think it has a general effect or no effect at all? Do you think it's a big trigger for developing different disorders? If so what disorders do you think it could trigger or even cause if that is your point of view?

It would be interesting to hear all your thoughts and suggestions

- ShatteredSecrets

Former Member

Hey ShatteredSecrets,

Strangely enough, I'm doing a interview study on Social Media, and aspects of mental health have been thrown into it, but then were also covering wider topics, like social media used, whether they've recieved positive or negative experiances and all that m'larky, so far responses to that have been amazing. There are lodes of articled on the APA (American Psychological association) page that you might find useful or to take into considering when doing your dissertation and covering Media and Mental Health, even if it's focusing on more specific mental health issues, like self esteem, and how we portray ourselves, does social media affect this? Can it support us in building confidence or completely knock us down, if ya' get me?

I'm obviously doing my reasearch for Qualatative Psychology. So might interlink a bit with what you're doing, so drop me a message if you like ever needed a hand and stuff.

But yeah, to get to the quesions you've asked. I think social media can go both ways, due to how were treated on social media, whether or not where getting likes, comments, shares, re-tweets, etc. As well as the status we hold on social media can affect it.

Could you expand on what you mean by general effect and no effect? As I don't think I really understand it. - I think social media can 'trigger' disorders in some vulnerable people, like if there stressed already, and then coming into this world, where they are slightly free, can rant, be anonyamous etc.

I think that really varies on the individual really on what disorders it triggers. But yeah. You should like write up a Google Quesionaire with open quesions to get more informative feedback and have a direction for your quesions then gather them up and see what you think.

But let us know how it gets on for you, and keep us updated,

Best wishes,
WhispersOfTheHeart