MHM Magazine

26 | MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS | Issu3 2 | 2022 MHM becomes very complicated, leading to some damaging effects on our youth’s mental health. Teens are experiencing overwhelming anxiety and an erosion of their self-esteem — all because they feel judged on purely how they appear. So how can we, as their guardians and protectors, prevent this? HOW CAN WE TURN THE MEDIA’S TIDES? Here’s the million-dollar question: What if we taught our children the digital life skills of sexuality, what it is to be a human in this world and all the wonderful and diverse dimensions that make up who we are. We can teach them about the influence of sexuality online and how it can very easily overwhelm who we really are, to the point where we’re acting as some sort of social-media-born character. While it’s normal and age- appropriate for teens to try on different identities at different stages in their development, teens today no longer know that they’re only trying them on. With some guidance, they may learn to discern whether this personality they picked from social media actually works and serves them, or whether it’s just a facade with the goal of chasing followers. If we work together to educate our children, we can help loosen the grip that the media has on our youth and society. We can raise a generation that’s balanced and healthy in their view of sexuality and confident in who they are as individuals. MySociaLife is a teen and pre-teen 'Digital Life Skills' programme in South Africa. The programme focuses on developing the necessary skills that teens need to navigate life online. This includes developing online critical thinking and empathy skills, building mental health, resilience, and dealing with cyberbullying, online sexuality, privacy and security, and screen time addiction. References available upon request