DanelleDee

As someone who works in adolescent healthcare, I really think your comment is saying something crucial. It's so hard to clearly identify the influence of social media when it's prevalence is steadily increasing alongside the world going to absolute shit. I am certain social media plays a role, but I also know that as a suicidal child and teen, peer influences and the internet were constantly being blamed for my mental health issues by my parents, teachers, and therapists. I was suicidal because even at ten years old I could see how little humans care for one another. The constant cutting me off from "bad influences" [read: other kids who were depressed, the writings of Sylvia Plath and other dark reading material, censoring the media I consumed] did nothing to help me because it didn't address the root issue. I don't doubt social media has a negative influence. But I think we could get rid of it tomorrow and the suicide rate would still be at least double what it was when I was in high school (it's presently more than triple.) Kids aren't stupid. They are influenced by social media but they also see the world for what it is and we need to address the exact issues you listed to make that a less desperate picture. Perhaps social media might be less dark if everyone making content wasn't living in the darkest timeline. Maybe there would be less content about how suicide is the answer if we were providing any other answers. The future right now is bleak and we owe our children more.

I would love to order one but don't have instagram, do you have a webpage or something?

I definitely agree with everything you've said here. It's absolutely a problem. I'm not sure it's the dominant problem, but it is absolutely a real, serious problem.

I had actually heard comparisons between the similar impacts of poverty and PTSD on a developing mind, but hadn't actually read the research myself. Really cool to hear from someone who's an expert in it!

Your style is badass. Where do you buy your clothes?