Articles and posts warn about social media ‘brain rot’
Social media users also shared tips for managing seasonal affective disorder.
Social media users also shared tips for managing seasonal affective disorder.
Recent articles and social media posts warned about “brain rot” after studies linked the frequent consumption of short-form video content to poor focus and self-control. Other posts discussed seasonal affective disorder, as well as suicide and self-harm among transgender youth.
Given these conversations, communicators may share information about mindful social media use, offer tools for managing SAD in the winter, and recirculate mental health resources for trans youth and their families.
Insights brought to you by the reporters and science writers of Public Good News (PGN), a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to improving community health.
What’s trending nationally in conversations about mental health
Over the past month, articles and social media posts have warned about brain rot in response to studies linking the frequent consumption of short-form video content (such as TikTok videos and Instagram reels) to poor focus and self-control. Many social media users said that they felt “addicted” to short-form video content and expressed a desire to limit social media use. Some also expressed concern about how social media could negatively impact children’s brain development. Others argued that setting time limits can prevent brain rot.
Recent articles and social media posts discussed SAD, a type of depression induced by seasonal changes that typically begins when the weather gets colder and daylight wanes. Articles and posts shared tips for coping with SAD during the winter, like maintaining hobbies, exercising, and improving indoor lighting. Social media users who experience SAD commiserated with each other and shared tools for managing depression, like scheduling time with friends and family.
On December 10, the Trevor Project published survey results finding that using the correct pronouns for trans youth may decrease suicide risk. Then, on December 22, JAMA Pediatrics published a meta-analysis of 137 global studies, finding that nearly half of transgender youth experience suicidal ideation and non-suicidal self-injury and that more than one-quarter attempt suicide. Both studies prompted social media posts expressing love and support for trans youth. Many also shared the mental health benefits of gender-affirming care. However, some social media users repeated the frequent false claim that trans identity is a mental health condition.
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Recommendations for public health professionals
The Infodemiology.com team will provide messaging recommendations in response to some of the trending narratives outlined above. These helpful tips can be used when creating content, updating web and FAQ pages, and developing strategy for messaging about mental health.
Conversations about how social media use can impact mental and cognitive health are a chance to explain how to consume content more mindfully. Tips may include noticing how you feel physically, being selective about what you watch, setting time limits, and prioritizing screen-free hobbies. Communicators may also want to recirculate tips helping youth safely use social media.
As winter continues and many areas experience cold weather and fewer hours of sunlight, individuals may be seeking information about how to manage seasonal depression. Messaging may share treatment options for SAD and other types of depression, like therapy and medication. Communicators may also explain that lifestyle changes like exercising regularly (especially outside), getting enough sleep, spending quality time with loved ones, limiting cell phone use, and using at-home light therapy may help improve SAD symptoms. Sharing general mental health resources—such as therapist databases, support groups, local mental health centers, and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline—is also recommended.
In response to discussions about trans youth and suicide, messaging may explain that using the correct pronouns for trans youth has been shown to reduce suicide risk. Messaging may also stress that while trans youth and adults may experience psychological distress in response to discrimination and legal stigma, all major mental health organizations agree that trans identities are not mental health conditions. Communicators may want to recirculate mental health resources for trans youth and their families, such as therapist directories where people can search for trans-informed therapists and support groups, the Trans Lifeline, the Trevor Project’s hotline for LGBTQ+ youth, the LGBT National Help Center, and local health centers that offer gender-affirming care, which has been shown to improve mental health.