Saturday night in? Better order in. Tom Austin, Deba Hekmat, Jaffa Saba – three young people who have built themselves an audience on social media – stayed in last Saturday and had a chat about their mental health and relationship with social media. Mental Health Day is a reminder that a mentally healthy lifestyle is important everyday of the year. Being vocal about your feelings is one of the best ways to keep your mental health topped up, and something we at The Basement whole heartedly back. Check out what Tom, Deba and Jaffa had to say below.
Tom Austin, 19
What positive effects does social media have on your mental health?
Umm. hmm. Probably getting an audience of people to see my ideas is good. Makes it a lot easier compared to… I dunno, like, in the 80’s if you wanted 1000 people to see something you’d have to put up a 1000 posters, print them out, put them up everywhere, but now you can just put up one Instagram story. It’s a lot more accessible and you can find a lot more. You can get inspired easily and that is good.
What effect do you think likes and followers have on mental health?
I think it affects you a huge amount. It did for me, but now I’ve come to the realisation that it’s just a number I guess. People might validate how good something is based on that number, people might think something is better than something else because it had 1000 likes rather than 80 likes. That can really damage someone, people can be like “oh, how does this person have 2000 followers? I’ve only got 400 followers.” It all comes down to comparing yourself really.
How do you think people should use social media differently to live a more mentally healthy lifestyle?
If you don’t like something just unfollow it straight away. With social media you literally choose what you want to see. So yeah, follow an account that makes you happy and benefits you, things that bring positivity into your life. That could be if you’re into art or even if you’re not into art, follow people that do cool shit. Don’t take Instagram too seriously. There’s loads of mental health positivity accounts that are good. That’s what I do, I follow loads of mental health accounts and if I see one that I like, I put it into a save folder and look at it when I’m down.
What advice would you give to people that are going through tough times mentally?
Get help straight away. That could be going to therapy which is the most normal thing ever or taking a break off social media always helps, reading, looking at other peoples journeys and experiences with mental health because it makes you realise how normal it is and everyone goes through it. It always gets better, it’s all about mindset.
Deba Hekmat, 19
What positive effects does social media have on your mental health?
Honestly not much, not much at all. It’s a great platform and I am able to make money off it, but in reality, it doesn’t help with my mental health. I try to use my platform in a more positive way to help educate, share knowledge etc. I try my best to not go on Instagram for “fun”.
What effect do you think likes and followers have on mental health?
Really bad. I used to compare myself to others and then obviously with that you compare stats, but at the end of the day it’s just an app now. It’s a platform where we are able to say what we need and leave.
How do you think people should use social media differently to live a more mentally healthy lifestyle?
I try to put my phone down after I’ve posted because I find any excess time online is bad for my mental health. I think it’s unhealthy to take in all that information every day, so just post your post, comment on your mate’s selfie and leave it at that. No endless and meaningless scrolling!
What advice would you give to people that are going through tough times mentally?
Stop comparing yourself to others. No doubt they’re probably doing the exact same thing and comparing themselves to others also. It’s a vicious cycle and honestly, not worth anyones mental stability to fall through.
Jaffa Saba, 19
Positive effects of social media?
It’s a good tool for putting my work out there and finding like minded people that appreciate the same things as me, for me that’s one of the only positive things.
What effect do you think likes and followers have on your mental health?
I try not to look at that stuff, but nobody can say that stuff doesn’t completely affect them. I guess it sits at the back of your mind in terms of approval if something doesn’t do as well as you initially intended it to. I look at that stuff as temporary, likes are not long term, comments are not long term, so you should just do what you like and do it for yourself.
Social media can be pretty toxic at times, how do you maintain a mentally healthy relationship with it?
I use it as a creative outlet, and try to detach myself mentally. I find as soon as you attach yourself mentally, you start to compare yourself to other people who seem like they’re in a better situation than yours. People get caught in a race, where you put that stress and pressure on yourself to be in that position by a certain age.
Talking about your mental health is a strength, not a weakness. Whether you are struggling, or know somebody who is struggling, talking to someone is often the first step to take when struggling with mental health. Social media can be the best and worst of places, remember to take time for yourself and switch off your phone. For more information on how to live a healthier mental lifestyle on socials, check out this link:
