Is social media the root of all evil? An investigation by a social media marketing agency founder. By Becky
Becky

Thinking23.08.23
2 min read

I want to get real about the role I play in the toxicity of social media. Without a doubt, there’s more I can do to make things better. That’s why I’m starting this content series. I plan to investigate why mental health and social media is a seemingly terrible combination and uncover practical ways to drive change for the better.

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Is social media the root of all evil? An investigation by a social media marketing agency founder.

I run a social media marketing agency and I struggle with my self-image.

A lack of confidence has been a personal issue for me since I was about the age of six or seven. Before the invention of social media. Arguably after the inception of the internet but the WWW had certainly not reached our modest home on Hayling Island by that point.

So I can’t say that without big bad Facebook, MSN Messenger or MySpace, I would be a shining example of sheer confidence. However there is a clear correlation between the trajectory of said confidence and the rise of social networking sites. This link is fairly well documented so I’m aware this is not a revelation.

What is curious to me is that I’ve somehow found my way into a career that’s quite possibly fuelling feelings of low self worth. One could simply suggest a career change. But instead, what would happen if I tried to fix it?

I love my job. It’s creative, collaborative and helps people in many ways. There’s just this one thing about it which feels misaligned with my personal values. So rather than accept the notion that social media will forever be undeniably bad for mental health, I’d like to challenge this idea and attempt to make it a better place for myself and for others too.

Here begins my investigation. I always fancied being a detective. Over the course of the next 10 weeks, I’m going to conduct my own research in an attempt to uncover some legitimate solutions to the modern world’s depleting mental health caused by social media.

Some of the questions I hope to answer are:

  • In what ways does social media negatively impact mental health?
  • Why does this seem to impact some people more than others?
  • Who is responsible for the negative effects of social media?
  • Are some social media platforms more harmful than others?
  • Can we identify some ways to make social media a better place?
  • Who is going to take the lead in making real change?


I am currently reaching out to professors of psychology, mental health research groups,  health and social practitioners, wellbeing experts and individuals with personal experiences relating to this topic. If you know anyone who might like to be interviewed, drop me an email on becky@weswwim.com.

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