Support for you

Getting help and support

We’re here to help you find what is right for you

Spending time online should feel enjoyable and have a positive impact on our lives. However, this isn’t always the case and sometimes the things we see and experiences we have can negatively impact on our mental health.

Everyone struggles sometimes, and it’s okay to feel overwhelmed, worried, or unsure. We’re here to help you understand what you’re feeling, why it might be happening, and what you can do to feel safer and more supported.

Take your time, explore what feels helpful, and remember that things can change, and you don’t have to face this alone.

Advice

What can I do?

There are things you can do to care for yourself, and helplines can offer extra support whenever you need it. You do not have to face this by yourself.

Understanding and dealing with your feelings

Pause and notice how you feel. Try to describe your feelings. Are they heavy? are you feeling low, misunderstood? Remember, feelings aren’t facts. Feeling unwanted or like a burden doesn’t mean you are.
Pay attention to triggers. Do certain things online make it worse? Spending less time doing those things and seeking help can make a difference. Sometimes there’s no clear cause, and that’s okay, you still deserve support.
Be kind to yourself. Talk to yourself like you would a friend, it can help to balance out those negative thoughts and remind yourself that you are not a bad person. Try flipping negative thoughts, like if you feel “nobody likes me,” remind yourself of friends who care.
Do what lifts you up. Plan activities each day that make you feel good, this could be reading, listening to a playlist or chatting with friends. Choose things that distract you from bad feelings, rather than encourage you to think about them. You deserve to have time feeling relaxed and calm.
Everyone deserves help. If you are feeling like you are a burden or feeling unwanted then it would be helpful to talk to someone. No worry is too small or unimportant, if it’s affecting you then there are people who can help.

Thinking about suicide and self-harm

If you’re in immediate danger or don’t feel safe, please call 999. Your safety matters more than anything and getting urgent help can protect you right now.
If you want to talk about how you’re feeling, you’re not alone. Helplines are there to listen, without judgment, and will help you make sense of what’s going on.
Suicidal thoughts can look like thinking about ending your life or feeling like you don’t want to be here anymore. If this is how you’re feeling there are people who will listen and help you.
Self-harm is when someone hurts themselves because they are feeling anxious, depressed or suicidal. If that’s you, there is help to ease the pressure and keep you safer.
It’s normal to feel low or worried sometimes. But if those feelings start to take over, or you find yourself thinking the only way to stop them is to end your life, reaching out is a really important step.
You don’t have to feel these thoughts forever. Suicidal feelings can convince us that nothing will ever get better. That feeling isn’t a fact and with the right support things can change.
Choose someone who can help. It might feel tempting to talk to others who feel the same, but they may not be able to help. This is where helplines can be useful as the person you speak to won’t judge you and will be trained to help.
Try writing it down if saying things out loud feels hard or send a message instead. You could text a helpline like SHOUT or chat online with Childline. The most important thing is reaching out for help.

Understanding how algorithms affect us

Algorithms shape our feeds. Platforms recommend content to us based on our data (age, gender, location etc), how we use the platform (likes, views, comments etc) and what other people like and engage with.
Suggested content isn’t filtered for wellbeing. The algorithm won’t decide if content is healthy or harmful before recommending it. If you have commented on something sad or viewed it then it may start to share more similar content with you. If you have noticed this on your feed then this isn’t your fault, it happens because of the way the platform is designed.
Patterns build quickly. The more we view certain content, even if it has been suggested to us, the more it appears. This can be subtle at first but quickly build and feed us content which can negatively impact our wellbeing.
What we see online matters. Constant exposure to content that makes us feel low or unworthy can impact our wellbeing over time. This can happen to anyone and does not mean you are less worthy.
Put your mental health first online. If what you’re seeing feels harmful, take a break and talk to someone. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to break the pattern of algorithms but taking steps like unfollowing harmful accounts and muting content you don’t want to see anymore can be helpful.

Spotting harmful content

Content which encourages someone to harm themselves or end their lives is harmful. This content can present itself as a solution to feeling low or depressed but there is safe help which can support you to gently challenge these feelings.
Content which promotes eating disorders is harmful. Sometimes this content is easy to spot as it may encourage someone to not eat but sometimes it can be subtle. Anything which is not recommended by the NHS or a licensed dietitian may not be safe to follow.
Content which triggers heavy negative feelings can be harmful. It’s normal to see something sad and feel affected by that but if those feelings are overwhelming or it feels like there is no escape from them then it’s important to get help.
Content which discourages someone from getting help is harmful. Any content which encourages you to keep your feelings private or makes you feel that no one will understand or want to help does not have your best interests in mind. This would also include content which encourages you to deflect questions and reassure people you are fine.
Constant exposure to harmful content can negatively impact your wellbeing. This could include contentthat talks about being unworthy or a burden and make you feel like this will never change. This isn’t true and with the right help you can feel differently.
Not all harmful content will be obvious. Sometimes it could appear as art or content which is simply sharing someone’s feelings. It could also be content which feels relatable to us if we are already feeling low or anxious.
There are other types of harmful content. These include violent or distressing content and hate speech or bullying or content. There are also illegal forms of content which include child sexual abuse material, terrorist activity and content which incites violence against others due to their race, religion or ethnicity.

Reporting harmful content online

Report harmful content directly to the platform. There will usually be a report button on the content itself so look out for a flag or 3 dots. You can also report profiles of accounts which are continuing to share harmful content. Look out for the 3 dots at the top of a profile to make a report.
There’s more support available with reporting to platforms. If you have reported harmful content to the platform but haven’t got a response or need help with the response then you can seek further support via ReportHarmfulContent.com (over 13s only).
Report to CEOP if you’re concerned about an adult’s behaviour. If you’re concerned about how someone is talking to you online and that they may be harmful then contact CEOP.

Managing your online space

Think about who you follow. Unfollow accounts that feel harmful and follow those that share content that makes you feel happy, calm, or positively inspired.
Report harmful content and get help. If you are worried about the content you have seen online then report this to the platform itself. It’s still important to reach out for support as well, this can also get you help with navigating reporting tools.
Take regular breaks and protect your sleep. Limiting how long you spend scrolling can reduce exposure to content that affects your mood. Start by setting timers for a break or charging your device on the other side of your room.
Balance your time online with other activities. This could be spending time offline, but it could also be doing different activities online like streaming your favourite music or TV show. Breaking the cycle of endless scrolling can help you feel more in control.
Make use of wellbeing tools. Set screen time limits or switch to night modes that can reduce functionality on an app. Small changes can make a big difference to how you feel.

Seek professional advice

Where to find help

If you or someone you care about needs help please contact one of the services shown below or use the Find a Helpline service to locate more specific services based on your needs and the type of interaction you would prefer.

In an emergency don’t be afraid to dial 999.

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contact details

Shout is a 24/7 text service, free on all major mobile networks, for anyone, anytime. It’s a place to go if you’re struggling to cope and you need immediate help

Website: https://giveusashout.org/

SMS: MRF to 85258