As we begin Mental Health Awareness Month, there’s been a very recent public acknowledgement about social media that I think we should be talking about. 2026 court rulings against Meta and YouTube confirm what we’ve suspected: that social media plays a role in causing mental health distress and fuels anxiety and depression.
Turns out FOMO isn’t a positive, self-esteem building feeling… Algorithms that reward daily posting for more impressions becomes a vicious circle. The negative mental health impact is real and it’s particularly harder for younger generations who have grown up in the middle of the melee with less perspective and IRL callouses. And let’s be honest: social media has negatively affected us Millennial and GenX adults at some point, too…
Two Truths: The Potential For Connection And The Potential For Distress
About 5 years ago, I made the intentional choice to step away from social media. It was during COVID and a period in my life when my coping mechanisms were no longer serving me well. And the more time I spent on Facebook looking for connection, the less it happened and the worse I felt.
Getting real about an obvious truth: without setting usage and exposure boundaries, a social media platform will become a source of distress. Whether it’s setting a time limit for your kids or yourself, culling your friends or the groups you follow to better represent who you are today, or even taking a prolonged timeout – these are appropriate boundaries that should be a part of our social media conversations.
I acknowledge both the potential for connection and the potential for distress simultaneously when it comes to social media, the dialectic that 2 opposing viewpoints can exist at the same time. This inspired me to incorporate mental health and wellness into my social media conversations. And this is what brought me to volunteer with Clubhouse Atlanta.
Supporting the Social Media Team at Clubhouse Atlanta
Clubhouse International is a global network of over 375 community centers across 31 countries, aimed at offering mental health support, friendship, employment, and housing to adults who are navigating mental health challenges. This non-profit provides a safe environment for members to build social and professional trade skills in culinary and professional services through a “work-ordered day” at their local Clubhouse location.
I started volunteering with Clubhouse Atlanta in Dunwoody earlier this year to support their BEE (Business, Employment, and Education) Unit and recently hosted a Lunch & Learn for members. We explored how to create an engaging social media presence for Clubhouse Atlanta to grow their community, and how to navigate social media safely especially when we’re triggered.
The social media strategies and boundaries I built to protect my own mental wellness are the same ones I use to mentor members to support their professional growth, creativity, and self esteem.
The Importance Of Creating Boundaries Around Social Media: My Personal Perspective
Setting digital boundaries is an essential health habit and it’s a lesson I learned firsthand. During COVID, I decided to take a break from social media after spending too many late nights scrolling and trolling.
As a mom on Facebook, going cold turkey wasn’t a casual decision; I knew it would impact my social life. Several relationships faded as a result, but it was a necessary trade-off. It allowed me to redirect time toward getting in a better head space. I had to take the space to learn new, healthy coping mechanisms as I navigated anxiety and depression. With the help of therapy and a solid support system physically around me, I was able to develop a toolkit of healthy coping mechanisms. These tools help me make good choices when I’m balancing a household, a company, and a splitting headache or an annoying situation. It’s a lifelong practice and I’ll forever be a student.
The timeout gave me a lot of clarity. I have slowly re-entered the social media sphere with purpose and healthy coping mechanisms. My approach to social media marketing is guided by a better understanding of its potential for health and wellness, and for distress.
From my new grounded perspective, I know how to balance the practical with the emotional, and the business with the personal. You know, those self expressions that make us authentically human…
If someone shares something on social media that gets under your skin, have a Plan.
It’s OK to be sensitive to others’ posts, but it’s how you react that makes a difference. If someone shares something that gets under your skin and you get triggered – just do this:
- Take a Deep Breath and immediately put down your phone.
- Step away from your screen, go outside or look out the window.
- Take two more deep breaths. Don’t engage with the post if you can help it.
Building a Purposeful Presence
It’s a privilege to share my knowledge to help the members tell the Clubhouse story safely, authentically, and with purpose.
By amplifying their core brand pillar of mental wellness in healthy and positive ways, they are building a social media presence without feeling overwhelmed and growing a supportive community by being themselves.
To recognize Mental Health Awareness Month, take stock of your current social media habits and how it makes you feel. Is it more positive than negative?
Take stock of your current social media habits.
Whether that’s taking a break from social media, following new healthy social media channels, or joining emotionally-supportive groups, the goal of social media should be to foster connection and never at the expense of your mental health.
Please support non-profits like Clubhouse Atlanta by donating or volunteering.
When we destigmatize mental illness diagnoses, we help build the mental wellness and professional skills of millions of people who deserve to be accepted for who they are.
To learn more about the work being done at Clubhouse Atlanta, visit clubhouseatlanta.org
