We know that students can suffer psychological issues from using social media. Our psychology department is keen to work with young people at schools and colleges to develop materials that will help reduce this damage and encourage them to use social media safely.
What is this project about?
Using social media sites is meant to be an enjoyable pastime where young people can post fun images and videos, and keep in touch with their friends. However, it is becoming apparent that this isn’t always the case, and that young people can suffer psychological damage from using social media. Sites such as Instagram can lead to lower well-being, poor self-esteem, and increased body dissatisfaction. These effects are particularly bad for young people who tend to be very sensitive about what people think of them.
It is therefore very important that we try and reduce this damage and ensure young people can use social media safely.
What is the aim of the project?
The aim of this project is to co-create and test educational materials designed to reduce the potential negative effects of social media use on young people’s body image. Crucially, these materials will be created with the help of young people. This means they will use appropriate language and get to the real issues that affect them, rather than just what adults think affects them.
Why are we contacting you?
We are looking for schools in the Keele area that would be interested in working on this project. This would be in two roles. First, in developing the materials. This would involve a researcher coming to your school and running a session with your students. They would be asked about their use of Instagram, and in the session would produce materials intended for other students, that warn them against the potential issues that come from using it.
The second role is testing these materials. Here, students would be given the materials previously developed, and be asked to look through them. We would then use some psychological scale measures to see if they have had a positive effect on their body image, and use of Instagram.
Are there any risks to taking part?
All materials and procedures for the study have to go through a rigorous ethics check before they can be used. We can also provide school staff with the materials before a session to look through. All participants (i.e. students) will need to give their consent to take part, and can opt-out if they wish. We can also include parental consent if that is a requirement of the school
What are the benefits of taking part?
Participation in this study in any capacity should provide students with a healthier view of using social media, and improve their body image. It will also give an educational insight into how psychological research works
What happens next?
At this stage, we are making contact with local schools that may be interested in this work and would like to know more. There is absolutely no commitment required at this point, this is simply about making connections with key educational establishments in the area.
If you would like to know more please get in touch with me, the lead researcher Chris Stiff on [email protected]. I will be happy to discuss this further and answer any questions you may have about this project.