Oversharing Online

  "Is there an ideal number of “friends” or connections individuals have on Social Media that can improve their mental health?"

        To answer this question I think you need to look at each social media user separately. For some people, having a large number of people who look-up to you or aspire to be you (i.e., being an influencer) can give a sense of community and belonging to people who may struggle to find that otherwise. For other people this may seem like a nightmare, and they may prefer to have only their nearest and dearest in their social-media world. Everyone's mental health journey is different, so the way social media impacts their mental health is going to be different too. Overall, I think that there is no such thing as a magical number of Facebook friends or TikTok followers that can make you feel better about yourself, and any form of online presence is going to come with its own perks and drawbacks. I also believe that the key to forming friendships online is moderation. Social media friendships can be great, but in-person friendships are a necessary part of a healthy life. In a 2017 study observing the associations in online vs face-to-face friendships and health, it was found that the number and quality of face-to-face friendships was positively associated with self-reported mental health, while there appeared to be no association between facebook friendships and health.

"Do social networking sites have any responsibility in promoting mental health in their users? If so, how might they go about doing so?"

        Yes, I think that social networking sites can be responsible for promoting mental health in their users, whether it be negatively or positively. Social media can be a great source for quick, easy to digest information about mental health topics, such as where and who to reach out to for help, hotlines to call, resources to use, etc. This can be extremely beneficial to individuals who are struggling mentally and may not know where to turn to. However, anyone can post anything they want onto the internet, and misinformation can easily be spread, so it is important to fact check the information that you're absorbing. On the flip side of that, social media can have harmful effects on mental health. Cyberbullying, harassment, and glorifying of certain mental health struggles (such as eating disorders) are just a few of the ways in which mental health can worsen due to social media exposure.