4.8 Psychoeducation: All About TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram, and How Psychiatrists Leverage Social Media for Public Health

Abstract

ObjectivesSocial media has become the primary mode of socialization for teens during the pandemic. Social media giants Instagram and Snapchat compete with new rival TikTok for the constant attention of youth. Most mental health providers do not use these sites in the same way or understand how teens interact. The objectives of this presentation is to: 1) summarize how teens communicate via TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram; 2) provide appropriate clinical questions for the clinician to ask teenagers on their social media use during a psychiatric interview; 3) highlight how psychiatrists can effectively educate the public via social media; and 4) review ethical considerations regarding psychiatrist social media use.MethodsUser experiences of TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram will be described, including unique features of each application. The detrimental effects of social media use on teenager well-being will be examined. The means of assessing teenager social media use in psychiatric care will be described. Examples of psychiatrists with successful social media accounts will be presented in addition to pertinent ethical principles.ResultsSocial media applications operate via data-driven algorithms that optimize user experience by highlighting photo, audio, and video posts most likely to maintain user engagement. Teenagers use these platforms for connection to peers, entertainment, education, and self-expression. Clinicians need to be aware of methods of how teenagers connect with others such as direct messaging (DM), sending snaps, and sharing videos. Physicians can use social media to provide psychoeducation and mental health awareness on a mass scale, but they risk ethical and legal violations if this is done carelessly.ConclusionsProviders benefit greatly from an understanding of how youth use various social media platforms and how individual use patterns should be assessed. Social media can be an excellent tool for public health, but providers must be aware of the legal and ethical implications.SP, MED, ETH ObjectivesSocial media has become the primary mode of socialization for teens during the pandemic. Social media giants Instagram and Snapchat compete with new rival TikTok for the constant attention of youth. Most mental health providers do not use these sites in the same way or understand how teens interact. The objectives of this presentation is to: 1) summarize how teens communicate via TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram; 2) provide appropriate clinical questions for the clinician to ask teenagers on their social media use during a psychiatric interview; 3) highlight how psychiatrists can effectively educate the public via social media; and 4) review ethical considerations regarding psychiatrist social media use. Social media has become the primary mode of socialization for teens during the pandemic. Social media giants Instagram and Snapchat compete with new rival TikTok for the constant attention of youth. Most mental health providers do not use these sites in the same way or understand how teens interact. The objectives of this presentation is to: 1) summarize how teens communicate via TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram; 2) provide appropriate clinical questions for the clinician to ask teenagers on their social media use during a psychiatric interview; 3) highlight how psychiatrists can effectively educate the public via social media; and 4) review ethical considerations regarding psychiatrist social media use. MethodsUser experiences of TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram will be described, including unique features of each application. The detrimental effects of social media use on teenager well-being will be examined. The means of assessing teenager social media use in psychiatric care will be described. Examples of psychiatrists with successful social media accounts will be presented in addition to pertinent ethical principles. User experiences of TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram will be described, including unique features of each application. The detrimental effects of social media use on teenager well-being will be examined. The means of assessing teenager social media use in psychiatric care will be described. Examples of psychiatrists with successful social media accounts will be presented in addition to pertinent ethical principles. ResultsSocial media applications operate via data-driven algorithms that optimize user experience by highlighting photo, audio, and video posts most likely to maintain user engagement. Teenagers use these platforms for connection to peers, entertainment, education, and self-expression. Clinicians need to be aware of methods of how teenagers connect with others such as direct messaging (DM), sending snaps, and sharing videos. Physicians can use social media to provide psychoeducation and mental health awareness on a mass scale, but they risk ethical and legal violations if this is done carelessly. Social media applications operate via data-driven algorithms that optimize user experience by highlighting photo, audio, and video posts most likely to maintain user engagement. Teenagers use these platforms for connection to peers, entertainment, education, and self-expression. Clinicians need to be aware of methods of how teenagers connect with others such as direct messaging (DM), sending snaps, and sharing videos. Physicians can use social media to provide psychoeducation and mental health awareness on a mass scale, but they risk ethical and legal violations if this is done carelessly. ConclusionsProviders benefit greatly from an understanding of how youth use various social media platforms and how individual use patterns should be assessed. Social media can be an excellent tool for public health, but providers must be aware of the legal and ethical implications.SP, MED, ETH Providers benefit greatly from an understanding of how youth use various social media platforms and how individual use patterns should be assessed. Social media can be an excellent tool for public health, but providers must be aware of the legal and ethical implications.