We all agree that at some point you need to be safe on the internet. There are so many ways that the internet is fun and enjoyable for things such as youtube and video games. However, it is also unsafe at times, especially with new apps that come out every day. It could be unsafe in terms of fake emails, possible hackers, and meeting people online. It’s always important to be extra careful when using the internet so you don’t cause any unnecessary risk to yourself, your well-being, and the people around you.
Using the internet for your mental health
Before we get into the do’s and don’ts, I wanted to address that the internet isn’t all bad! According to https://www.statista.com/ over 90% of the global population use the internet on a mobile device. That’s almost everybody in the world! And the internet is fun, there is so much that we can learn online and that’s why it’s also an amazing place to search about your mental illness. You may find some useful information that can help you!
How can the internet help with mental illness?
There are many ways the internet can help anyone with mental illness because it is so easily accessible. There could be apps on your phones that you could use, websites, games, and much more!
So here is a list of ways the internet can help mental health:
- You can find information on your mental health
- You can search for a diagnosis on your mental health and check if you need to see your GP about something you’re worried about.
- There are ways to connect with your friends from all over the world
- You can make new friends
- There are a lot of support websites and apps made for specific mental illness
- You can get help online
- You can find ways to help you relax
- Find new coping methods
- Meet people with a similar illness and learn from them
As you can see there is so much the internet has to offer to help you with your mental illness!
How can the internet affect mental illness?
The internet is a huge place after all, so there are bound to be ways it could affect your mental health too. So here are some of the ways the internet can affect your mental health.
- Searching for a diagnosis can be scary because it lists many other possible problems. if you’re scared, call your GP.
- May affect your mood in a negative way. You may have seen a video you disliked and this can result in an unpleasant mood.
- May cause you to be upset with yourself or who you are. Maybe you saw a celebrity you liked and you try to compare yourself to them and it can make you have low self-esteem and feel unhappy with yourself.
- False information may be given and this can lead to unsafe or risky actions.
- Cyberbullying can happen, and this can worsen mental illnesses.
There are many ways that the internet can affect your mental illness so it’s important to be safe whilst online!
How the internet can be unsafe for those with mental illness
Protecting yourself online is important since the internet is a huge place. It can be unsafe but more so for those with mental illness and I can explain why.
Here is an example:
Someone with depression may want to seek someone to console them, they may need a shoulder to cry on or just some company. They may find someone online, let’s say through Facebook, and they want to meet this person. This person doesn’t have any pictures on their profile of themself or their family or might have a fake picture. They decide to meet and it’s not the person they expected or saw in the photos. Maybe this person is older than they say they are? This can lead to many traumatic things and it’s important never to meet someone you’ve never seen or talked to whether in person or on a face call before. Things could become dangerous!
Not only this but they could also use you, you’re vulnerable and they use that to either take money from you or manipulate you. You don’t have to meet someone for them to affect you.
These are known as romance scams and catfishing. It’s awful to think someone would do that but there are many videos and stories online that are true and it’s sad to know that there are people like that in the world. That’s why it’s important to protect yourself.
How to protect yourself on the internet
It’s important to make sure you are doing the right things to protect yourself on the internet. This is because it can have a great impact on the health and safety of you and the people you are close to! Here are some of the many things you can do to protect yourself and others online:
- Always check if the websites you are looking at, are real. Most websites or apps have a review page you can look at.
- Ask someone like a friend or family to help you make sure you have the correct websites.
- Find ways to ensure the person you are talking to online is real. You can do this by using google search for images of people to check if it’s fake or not (you can find this by right-clicking on a picture and searching via google.) this can show you where the pictures are from if you suspect a catfish.
- Never send money to someone you don’t know!
- Make sure your emails are from the real sender. You could be scammed.
- Use strong passwords.
- Do not click on links you don’t recognize.
- Do not share any of yours or people you know, personal details, or information with anyone you don’t know.
- Don’t meet strangers you don’t know.
- If you are a parent, limit what sites your child can get onto by using parental guidance on your internet settings.
- Don’t open emails or messages from someone you don’t recognize.
Please be safe on the internet, especially with mental illness. You could be used and manipulated because people can see you as vulnerable. It can be risky and dangerous, especially when meeting someone you don’t know. If you’re not sure, ask someone!