In this week’s assemblies, Heads of House have been talking to students about social media. We can’t avoid these apps and services – they are part of our lives and the society we live in. What we need to do is ensure we use them carefully, kindly, and appropriately. And that means we need to think about them.

Social media apps make money through advertising. Advertisers want audiences looking at their apps. So that means, for a social media service to be successful, it has to be good at grabbing our attention, and then keeping us focused on it for as long as possible. The whole business model of these apps is designed to get us hooked, and keep us hooked.

Excessive use of social media creates increased loneliness, fear of missing out (FOMO), and decreased life satisfaction. There are also strong links between excessive social media use and body image dissatisfaction, low mood, lowered self-esteem, and disrupted sleep patterns. No wonder there are age limits on these apps:

• WhatsApp: 16
• Facebook: 13
• X (formerly Twitter): 13
• Snapchat: 13
• Instagram: 13
• TikTok: 13

Another big risk around social media is the risk of cyberbullying. Unkindness is rife online. People hide behind keyboards and screens and say things they would never say to someone’s face – but the impact is just as severe. Only this week, an inquest has heard evidence of how online bullying was a factor in the death of a 14-year-old schoolgirl in London in 2021. UEFA have launched a campaign called Outraged to raise awareness of the impact of online abuse on footballers.

Because there are also positives in social media. It can facilitate social connections and peer support, offering the opportunity to talk about things that you may feel you can’t face to face . It can provide a space for rewarding social interactions. There is a wealth of educational and informative content which can help us learn, develop new skills, and broaden our world view. And we can find humour and feel good stories across social media which can reduce stress as well as entertaining us.

So, it’s not all bad. But if we choose to use social media, it is our responsibility to use it kindly and constructively, for our own good and for the good of those around us who are also on those platforms – and in moderation.