Mental Health Support Beyond Digital Citizenship

Social Media

Social media was around in the early 2000s, but it exploded once we were introduced to the iPhone in 2007 and the Android in 2008. Not many of us anticipated the profound changes this technology would have on society and education in particular.

There is no need to list all of the societal shifts that could be attributed to our wide connectivity. If you have not seen the movie “The Social Dilemma” released in 2020, I recommend you watch it on Netflix. It is a bit overly dramatic, but certainly eye-opening and still timely.

As educators, we have seen the deterioration in the mental health of our students beginning with the harmful effects of cellphone use. We knew social media was having a negative impact on childhood interactions, confidence and anxiety. The physical separation of COVID-19 and virtual compensation for those lacking interaction magnified the growing issue, and we now face a mental health crisis.