Reels, Posts, Podcasts, AI… Social Media, Oh My! Supporting Mental Health & Safety in the Age of Social Media
- Pauline Walfisch, LCSW-R, PMH-C
- Jan 20
- 3 min read
Supporting Mental Health & Safety in the Age of Social Media
Social media has reshaped how we connect, learn, and build identity. For many children, adolescents, and adults, online spaces offer community, creativity, and belonging that may not exist offline.
Even at HHP, we are constantly talking about things that we see on social media. Sometimes fun stuff, sometimes thought provoking content, and sometimes we learn something that helps us grow.
But our experiences aren't always positive. Behind the filters and viral trends is a quieter reality. Without thoughtful guidance and safeguards, digital spaces can become overwhelming powerful sources of emotional harm and risk. Sometimes, we are inadvertently exposed to false information, distressing content or even become witness to violent and traumatic events.
As clinicians, educators, supervisors and caregivers, we can no longer treat social media as background noise. It is a living environment shaping mental health every day. We must consider the impacts for our clients as a reality in their lives.
The Hidden Landscape of Risk
Adverse online experiences are far more common than we wish they were. We are all impacted but these risks are greater among vulnerable populations. These include:
Online predators and exploitation: young people may be exposed to grooming and manipulation
Cyberbullying and harassment that follows children home on their phones
Exposure to harmful content, including self-harm, ideas about dangerous eating habits, violence, and hate-based communities
Boundary erosion, where the line between public and private life disappears
Misinformation, when opinions are portrayed as facts
These risks intensify for youth and individuals with disabilities who may struggle with social cues, impulse control, or risk recognition.
Why Vulnerable Populations Are at Higher Risk
As humans we search for connection. Social media provides a digital world full of opportunities for connection, but without the safeguards that in-person experiences provide.
Digital literacy can make it hard to decipher AI generated content from real life content
Developmental or cognitive differences make it challenging to discern fact from opinion
Social isolation or unmet belonging needs that make online communities more attractive
Impulsivity and difficulty reading cues can result in being exploited or scammed
Neurodivergence or intellectual and developmental disabilities makes it harder to interpret content and intent
The Mental Health Impact
What happens online doesn’t stay online. It follows us home, it walks into therapy rooms and classrooms. We often see or hear about the triggers of social media, and the mental health complications that it creates.
Heightened anxiety, depression, and shame
Sleep disruption and reduced concentration
Withdrawal from trusted relationships
Escalation in risky behaviors
Fragmented identity development
Without intervention, the emotional toll quietly compounds.
From Fear to Empowerment
Avoidance is not the solution. Although limiting your exposure can certainly help.
What Helps:
1. Build Digital Literacy
Teach children and families how privacy settings work, what a digital footprint means, and how to spot red flags early.
2. Strengthen Emotional Awareness
Help clients name the feelings social media stirs — envy, rejection, excitement, fear — so they don’t internalize them alone, and gain confidence talking about it.
3. Normalize Open Conversations
Silence creates vulnerability. Regular, non-punitive check-ins protect far more than surveillance ever could. Ask your clients what their social media experience has been. What they are listening to, what and where they learn, who inspires them online.
4. Equip Families
Provide tools like device agreements, co-viewing practices, and clear safety plans. Provide skills to be able to set boundaries around time and content.
5. Integrate Social Media Into Clinical Work
Assess online experiences just as you would school, peer relationships, or family stressors. Social Media has become a large factor in the lives of many. Ask if they are using AI, and how they use it. Provide education about the dangers of using AI and social media as a substitute for healthcare.
The Takeaway
The digital world is expanding faster than any of us can keep up with. We cannot ignore the existence of social media and the impact it has on the lives of the people we serve.
But harm is not inevitable. There are some benefits from social media.
With thoughtful education, collaborative family engagement, and trauma-informed clinical practice, we can help individuals navigate online spaces with confidence, connection, and safety — not fear.
Because mental health and the desire for connection don’t log off. We have to be logged-in.
If you are a mental health professional interested in learning more. Check out our upcoming training here.