What is AWARE about?
Mental health, particularly depression and anxiety disorders, is a prominent topic on social media. On one hand, this prevalence can raise awareness about these issues and even encourage individuals to seek professional help. On the other hand, it can also lead to overinterpretations and self-diagnoses. Social media shapes beliefs, opinions, and values, especially among adolescents. Nevertheless, little is known about how and by whom mental health conditions are represented there, and what impact this has on adolescents' perceptions and well-being. It is also unclear how adolescents' perceptions and beliefs regarding mental health influence their use of social media.
The three-year project uses a multi-method approach, relying on focus groups, a content analysis of social media posts, a validation study of a newly developed algorithm literacy scale as well as a three-wave longitudinal study in schools. The project focuses on adolescents' aged between 12 and 19 since social media use increasingly intensifies and reaches a peak within this age group.
Recommendations and targeted prevention strategies can be derived from the project results in order to improve the portrayal and perception of mental health, as well as the mental health of adolescents' in today’s digital society.
