0:00:10.897,0:00:12.219
I'm fat.

0:00:13.297,0:00:14.427
Wow, I'm fat.

0:00:15.228,0:00:18.967
She's only nineteen years old,[br]what am I doing with my life?

0:00:19.717,0:00:21.408
Hey! Two likes! Nice.

0:00:21.818,0:00:23.589
Do I like this photo?

0:00:24.016,0:00:26.097
Does she really need more likes?

0:00:26.597,0:00:28.843
I hope I'm going to be invited[br]to the wedding.

0:00:29.469,0:00:31.254
One more like, nice!

0:00:31.704,0:00:35.914
Welcome to the internal monologue[br]of a typical social media scroll.

0:00:36.544,0:00:39.390
A monologue that so many[br]of us have every day,

0:00:39.390,0:00:42.542
but we don't think about it,[br]we don't talk about it.

0:00:42.542,0:00:45.234
In fact, many of us[br]can't even recognize it happening.

0:00:46.831,0:00:48.198
I'm Bailey Parnell,

0:00:48.198,0:00:50.658
and I will discuss[br]the unintended consequences

0:00:50.658,0:00:52.787
social media is having[br]on your mental health.

0:00:53.296,0:00:55.679
I will show you what's[br]stressing you out every day,

0:00:55.679,0:00:56.918
what it's doing to you,

0:00:56.918,0:01:00.277
and how you can craft[br]a better experience for yourself online.

0:01:02.457,0:01:03.857
Just over a year ago,

0:01:03.868,0:01:07.615
my sister and I took a four-day[br]vacation to Jasper, Alberta.

0:01:08.300,0:01:12.217
This was the first no-work vacation[br]I had taken in four years.

0:01:12.978,0:01:15.818
On this vacation, I was going dark.

0:01:16.358,0:01:20.868
I was turning on airplane mode,[br]no email and no social media.

0:01:21.488,0:01:22.809
The first day there,

0:01:22.809,0:01:25.251
I was still experiencing[br]phantom vibration syndrome.

0:01:25.251,0:01:27.249
That's where you think[br]your phone went off,

0:01:27.249,0:01:29.008
and you check and it didn't.

0:01:29.008,0:01:30.830
I was checking incessantly.

0:01:30.830,0:01:32.695
I was distracted in conversation.

0:01:32.695,0:01:35.495
I was seeing these gorgeous sights[br]Jasper had to offer,

0:01:35.505,0:01:37.695
and my first reaction[br]was to take out my phone

0:01:37.695,0:01:39.167
and post it on social.

0:01:39.167,0:01:41.221
But of course it wasn't there.

0:01:42.090,0:01:44.381
The second day was a little bit easier.

0:01:44.629,0:01:46.518
You might be thinking I'm ridiculous,

0:01:46.518,0:01:50.069
but I hadn't been completely[br]disconnected in over four years.

0:01:50.783,0:01:53.283
This was practically[br]a new experience again.

0:01:53.296,0:01:55.335
It wasn't until the fourth day I was there

0:01:55.335,0:01:57.616
that I was finally comfortable[br]without my phone.

0:01:58.075,0:02:01.314
I was sitting with my sister,[br]literally on the side of this mountain,

0:02:01.314,0:02:03.264
when I started thinking to myself:

0:02:03.264,0:02:05.745
"What is social media doing to me?

0:02:05.745,0:02:07.679
What is it doing to my peers?"

0:02:07.679,0:02:10.901
That was only four days,[br]and it was anxiety-inducing,

0:02:10.901,0:02:13.699
it was stressful and it[br]resulted in withdrawals.

0:02:14.780,0:02:17.139
That's when I started to ask questions

0:02:17.139,0:02:20.057
and have since started[br]my master's research into this subject.

0:02:21.567,0:02:24.638
I've worked in social marketing[br]primarily in higher education

0:02:24.638,0:02:26.349
for most of my career.

0:02:26.349,0:02:29.653
That means I work[br]with a lot of 18- to 24-year-olds,

0:02:30.218,0:02:31.378
which also happens to be

0:02:31.378,0:02:33.889
the most active demographic[br]on social media.

0:02:34.691,0:02:36.649
The other thing you need to know about me

0:02:36.649,0:02:39.499
is that I'm young enough[br]to have grown up with social media,

0:02:40.080,0:02:42.881
but just old enough to be able[br]to critically engage with it

0:02:42.881,0:02:45.440
in a way that twelve-year-old me[br]probably couldn't.

0:02:45.811,0:02:49.926
My life is social media: personally,[br]professionally and academically.

0:02:49.926,0:02:53.771
If it was doing this to me,[br]what was it doing to everyone else?

0:02:55.076,0:02:57.357
I immediately found out I wasn't alone.

0:02:59.532,0:03:03.028
The center for collegiate mental health[br]found that the top three diagnoses

0:03:03.028,0:03:07.266
on University campuses[br]are anxiety, depression and stress.

0:03:08.039,0:03:11.768
Numerous studies from the US,[br]Canada, the UK, you name it,

0:03:11.768,0:03:14.028
have linked this high social media use

0:03:14.028,0:03:16.951
with these high levels[br]of anxiety and depression.

0:03:17.723,0:03:20.335
But the scary thing[br]is that high social media use

0:03:20.335,0:03:22.285
is almost everyone I know:

0:03:22.754,0:03:25.295
my friends, my family, my colleagues.

0:03:25.971,0:03:30.161
90% of 18- to 29-year-olds[br]are on social media.

0:03:31.093,0:03:34.074
We spend on average[br]two hours a day there.

0:03:34.074,0:03:36.694
We don't even eat for two hours a day.

0:03:37.452,0:03:41.407
70% of the Canadian population[br]is on social media.

0:03:42.133,0:03:45.001
Our voter turnout isn't even 70%.

0:03:45.362,0:03:49.939
Anything we do this often[br]is worthy of critical observation.

0:03:49.941,0:03:53.882
Anything we spend this much time doing[br]has lasting effects on us.

0:03:54.631,0:03:56.161
So let me introduce you

0:03:56.161,0:03:59.432
to four of the most common[br]stressors on social media,

0:03:59.432,0:04:00.676
that if go unchecked

0:04:00.676,0:04:03.882
have potential to become[br]full-blown mental health issues,

0:04:03.882,0:04:06.372
and this is by no means[br]an exhaustive list.

0:04:07.773,0:04:10.122
Number one: the Highlight Reel.

0:04:11.333,0:04:12.727
Just like in sports,

0:04:12.727,0:04:16.484
the highlight reel is a collection[br]of the best and brightest moments.

0:04:16.964,0:04:19.445
Social media is[br]our personal highlight reel.

0:04:19.445,0:04:21.934
It's where we put up our wins,[br]or when we look great,

0:04:21.934,0:04:24.185
or when we are out[br]with friends and family.

0:04:24.185,0:04:25.983
But we struggle with insecurity

0:04:25.983,0:04:28.339
because we compare[br]our behind-the-scenes

0:04:28.339,0:04:30.456
with everyone else's highlight reels.

0:04:30.456,0:04:33.172
We are constantly comparing[br]ourselves to others.

0:04:33.172,0:04:35.742
Yes, this was happening[br]before social media,

0:04:35.742,0:04:37.582
with TV and celebrity,

0:04:37.582,0:04:41.465
but now it's happening all the time,[br]and it's directly linked to you.

0:04:42.607,0:04:45.784
A perfect example I came across[br]in preparation for this talk

0:04:45.784,0:04:48.719
is my friend on vacation: 'brb, nap ...'

0:04:48.719,0:04:50.209
(Laughter)

0:04:50.708,0:04:53.186
'Wait, why can't I afford a vacation?

0:04:53.186,0:04:56.028
Why am I just sitting here[br]in my PJ's watching Netflix?

0:04:56.028,0:04:57.888
I want to be on a beach.'

0:04:58.818,0:05:01.221
Here's the thing, I know her very well.

0:05:01.517,0:05:03.869
I knew this was[br]out of the ordinary for her.

0:05:04.200,0:05:06.612
I knew she was typically[br]drowning in schoolwork.

0:05:06.612,0:05:08.648
But we think, 'Who wants to see that?'

0:05:09.035,0:05:11.277
The highlights are[br]what people want to see.

0:05:11.278,0:05:13.557
In fact, when your highlights do well,

0:05:13.557,0:05:16.406
you encounter the second[br]stressor on social media.

0:05:16.787,0:05:20.116
Which is number two: Social Currency.

0:05:21.887,0:05:26.048
Just like the dollar, a currency[br]is literally something we use

0:05:26.048,0:05:28.214
to attribute value to a good or service.

0:05:29.000,0:05:31.810
In social media, these likes,[br]the comments, the shares

0:05:31.810,0:05:36.091
have become this form of social currency[br]by which we attribute value to something.

0:05:36.872,0:05:39.313
In marketing, we call it[br]the 'Economy of Attention'.

0:05:39.678,0:05:41.698
Everything is competing[br]for your attention,

0:05:41.698,0:05:45.539
and when you give something a like[br]or a piece of that finite attention,

0:05:45.539,0:05:48.541
it becomes a recorded transaction[br]attributing value.

0:05:48.972,0:05:51.960
Which is great if you[br]are selling albums or clothing.

0:05:52.721,0:05:55.623
The problem is that in our social media,

0:05:55.623,0:05:57.443
[WE are the product.]

0:05:57.443,0:05:59.761
We are letting others[br]attribute value to us.

0:06:00.560,0:06:03.477
You know someone or are someone[br]that has taken down a photo

0:06:03.478,0:06:06.370
because it didn't take as many likes[br]as you thought it would.

0:06:07.068,0:06:09.439
I'll admit, I've been[br]right there with you.

0:06:09.448,0:06:14.150
We took our product off the shelf[br]because it wasn't selling fast enough.

0:06:15.099,0:06:17.719
This is changing our sense of identity.

0:06:17.719,0:06:20.559
We are tying up our self-worth[br]of what others think about us

0:06:20.559,0:06:22.976
and then we are quantifying it[br]for everyone to see.

0:06:23.780,0:06:25.022
And we are obsessed.

0:06:25.022,0:06:29.533
We have to get that selfie just right,[br]and we will take 300 photos to make sure.

0:06:30.353,0:06:33.002
Then we will wait[br]for the perfect time to post.

0:06:35.384,0:06:36.653
We are so obsessed

0:06:36.653,0:06:39.884
we have biological responses[br]when we can't participate.

0:06:40.813,0:06:43.543
Which leads me to[br]the third stressor on social media.

0:06:43.983,0:06:46.306
Number three: F.O.M.O.

0:06:46.945,0:06:49.158
It's a light phrase[br]we've all thrown around.

0:06:49.718,0:06:53.930
F.O.M.O., or the 'fear of missing out',[br]is an actual social anxiety

0:06:53.930,0:06:56.819
from the fear that you are missing[br]a potential connection,

0:06:56.819,0:06:58.521
event, or opportunity.

0:06:58.521,0:07:02.369
A collection of Canadian Universities[br]found that 7/10 students

0:07:02.369,0:07:05.350
said they would get rid of[br]their social networking accounts

0:07:05.350,0:07:08.324
if it were not for fear[br]of being left 'out of the loop'.

0:07:08.324,0:07:10.685
Out of curiosity, how many people here

0:07:10.685,0:07:13.595
have, or have considered[br]deactivating your social.

0:07:14.714,0:07:16.204
That's almost everyone.

0:07:17.701,0:07:21.180
That F.O.M.O. you feel,[br]the highlight reels, the social currency,

0:07:21.765,0:07:25.949
those are all results of a relatively[br]'normal' social media experience.

0:07:26.512,0:07:30.052
But what if going on social every day[br]was a terrifying experience?

0:07:30.052,0:07:32.330
Where you not just[br]question your self-worth

0:07:32.330,0:07:34.301
but you question your safety?

0:07:34.445,0:07:37.387
Perhaps the worst stressor[br]on social media is number four:

0:07:37.387,0:07:39.040
Online Harassment.

0:07:40.823,0:07:44.735
40% of online adults[br]have experienced online harassment.

0:07:45.685,0:07:48.255
73% have witnessed it.

0:07:48.925,0:07:52.502
The unfortunate reality is[br]that it is much worse and much more likely

0:07:52.504,0:07:55.884
if you are a woman, LGBTQ,[br]a person of color, muslim -

0:07:55.894,0:07:57.582
I think you get the point.

0:07:58.147,0:08:01.627
The problem is that in the news[br]we are seeing these big stories:

0:08:02.247,0:08:04.007
The 18-year-old Tyler Clementi,

0:08:04.007,0:08:08.217
who took his life after his roommate[br]secretly filmed him kissing another guy

0:08:08.217,0:08:09.702
and outed him on Twitter.

0:08:10.618,0:08:14.296
We see women like Anita Sarkeesian[br]being close to shamed of the internet

0:08:14.296,0:08:17.380
and sent death and rape threats[br]for sharing their feminism.

0:08:17.380,0:08:20.175
We see these stories once it is too late.

0:08:21.248,0:08:23.764
What about the everyday[br]online harassment?

0:08:23.764,0:08:26.517
What about that ugly snapchat[br]you sent your friend

0:08:26.517,0:08:29.897
with the intention of it being private,[br]and now it is up on Facebook?

0:08:29.901,0:08:32.841
'And so? It's just one photo, it's funny.'

0:08:32.841,0:08:35.318
'Just one mean comment, not a big deal.'

0:08:35.882,0:08:40.172
But when these micro moments[br]happen over and over again, over time,

0:08:40.172,0:08:42.652
that's when we have a macro problem.

0:08:43.791,0:08:46.363
We have to recognize[br]these everyday instances as well.

0:08:46.930,0:08:49.568
Because if they go unchecked[br]and the effects unnoticed,

0:08:49.568,0:08:52.569
we are going to have[br]many more Tyler Clementis.

0:08:54.040,0:08:56.176
The effects are not always[br]easy to recognise.

0:08:56.176,0:08:59.787
How many of you have noticed[br]the notifications at the top of my screen?

0:09:00.269,0:09:03.576
How many of you, like me,[br]are bothered that they're not checked?

0:09:04.949,0:09:08.950
Ok, let me check them for you.[br](Sighs) Okay!

0:09:10.647,0:09:13.644
Just one small example[br]of what this can do to you.

0:09:13.644,0:09:16.911
Maybe you simply cannot focus[br]because your notifications

0:09:16.911,0:09:19.700
are going off the handle,[br]and you need to check.

0:09:20.382,0:09:23.359
That need, eventually becomes addiction.

0:09:24.479,0:09:26.897
Regarding social media,[br]we are already experiencing

0:09:26.897,0:09:29.064
impairment similar[br]to substance dependencies.

0:09:29.630,0:09:33.521
With every like, you get a shot[br]of that feel-good chemical, dopamine.

0:09:33.894,0:09:37.504
You gain more of that social currency.[br]So what do we do to feel good?

0:09:37.891,0:09:40.436
We check likes - just one more time.

0:09:41.093,0:09:43.192
We post - just one more time.

0:09:44.015,0:09:46.612
We are anxious if we do not have access.

0:09:47.205,0:09:50.014
Doesn't that sound like every drug[br]you have ever heard of?

0:09:50.639,0:09:51.401
Yeah!

0:09:52.594,0:09:54.054
So when that grows,

0:09:54.054,0:09:56.936
when your social media use[br]goes unconfronted overtime,

0:09:56.936,0:09:59.890
that's when we see the rising levels[br]of anxiety and depression:

0:09:59.890,0:10:03.101
the F.O.M.O. the distractions,[br]the highlight reels, the comparisons;

0:10:03.101,0:10:05.168
It's a lot, and it's all the time!

0:10:06.550,0:10:09.071
The Canadian Association of Mental Health

0:10:09.071,0:10:14.132
found that grades 7-12 students[br]who spent two hours a day on social media

0:10:14.132,0:10:18.291
reported higher levels of anxiety,[br]depression and suicidal thoughts.

0:10:19.763,0:10:23.101
For those of you doing the math,[br]that's as young as twelve years old.

0:10:26.411,0:10:30.946
Here is the thing, [br]I like social media. I do, I love it.

0:10:31.413,0:10:32.766
Hearing what I've said today

0:10:32.776,0:10:35.073
might make you think[br]I want you to get off of it.

0:10:35.073,0:10:36.367
But I don't.

0:10:36.367,0:10:38.370
I don't think it's going anywhere,

0:10:38.370,0:10:39.942
so I'm not going to waste my time

0:10:39.942,0:10:42.698
telling you to spend less time[br]on social media.

0:10:42.698,0:10:45.757
Frankly, I don't think[br]absence is an option anymore.

0:10:45.757,0:10:49.074
But that does not mean[br]you can't practice 'safe social'.

0:10:51.982,0:10:54.289
Everything I have talked about today

0:10:54.289,0:10:57.681
has nothing and everything to do[br]with social media.

0:10:58.609,0:11:01.681
I mean, social media[br]is neither good nor bad.

0:11:01.681,0:11:05.028
It's just the most recent tool we use[br]to do what we have always done:

0:11:05.631,0:11:07.980
tell stories and communicate[br]with each other.

0:11:08.409,0:11:11.873
You wouldn't blame Samsung Television[br]for a bad TV show.

0:11:12.603,0:11:15.353
Twitter doesn't make people[br]write hateful posts.

0:11:16.177,0:11:18.591
When we talk about[br]this dark side of social media,

0:11:18.591,0:11:21.355
what we really talk about[br]is the dark side of people.

0:11:21.355,0:11:23.409
That dark side that makes[br]harassers harass;

0:11:23.409,0:11:25.685
that insecurity that makes you[br]take down a photo

0:11:25.685,0:11:27.178
you were excited to share.

0:11:27.178,0:11:30.362
That dark side that looks at a picture[br]of a happy family and wonders

0:11:30.362,0:11:32.702
why yours does not look like that.

0:11:33.501,0:11:38.137
So as parents, as educators,[br]as friends, as bosses

0:11:38.137,0:11:40.573
this dark side is[br]what we need to focus on.

0:11:41.470,0:11:45.020
We need preventative strategies[br]and coping strategies

0:11:45.020,0:11:48.284
so that when you have your low days -[br]because you will -

0:11:48.284,0:11:52.454
when you're questioning your self-worth,[br]you never get as low as Tyler Clementi -

0:11:52.842,0:11:54.925
and the many others like him.

0:11:55.876,0:11:58.725
'OK, Bailey, how do you find[br]social media wellness?'

0:11:59.041,0:12:00.873
Here's the good news:

0:12:00.873,0:12:03.996
Recognising a problem[br]is the first step to fixing it.

0:12:04.474,0:12:08.229
So hearing this talk is just that,[br]step one: recognise the problem.

0:12:08.229,0:12:09.809
You know the power of suggestion,

0:12:09.809,0:12:13.349
when someone tells you about something[br]and you start seeing it everywhere.

0:12:13.349,0:12:15.383
That's why awareness is critical.

0:12:15.383,0:12:18.877
Because now you will at least[br]be better able to recognise these effects

0:12:18.877,0:12:20.846
if and when they happen to you.

0:12:22.864,0:12:26.389
The second thing you are going to do[br]is audit your social media diet.

0:12:27.786,0:12:30.102
The same way we monitor[br]what goes into our mouth,

0:12:30.102,0:12:32.602
monitor whatever goes[br]into your head and heart.

0:12:32.602,0:12:37.025
Ask yourself: 'Did that Facebook scroll[br]make me feel better or worse off?'

0:12:37.397,0:12:39.937
'How many times[br]do I actually check likes?'

0:12:40.266,0:12:42.834
'Why am I responding[br]this way to that photo?'

0:12:43.117,0:12:45.860
Then ask yourself if you are[br]happy with the results.

0:12:45.860,0:12:47.927
You might be and that's OK!

0:12:48.322,0:12:51.059
But if you're not, move on to step three.

0:12:51.593,0:12:53.858
Create a better online experience.

0:12:54.556,0:12:56.049
After my partner did his audit,

0:12:56.049,0:12:59.080
he realised his self-worth[br]was too tied up in social media,

0:12:59.080,0:13:03.163
but particularly celebrities reminding him[br]of the things he didn't have.

0:13:03.173,0:13:06.219
So he unfollowed all brands[br]and all celebrities.

0:13:06.535,0:13:08.016
That worked for him.

0:13:08.027,0:13:10.141
But it might not be celebrities for you.

0:13:10.141,0:13:13.051
For me, I had to purge[br]other people off my timeline.

0:13:13.051,0:13:14.381
Let me tell you a secret.

0:13:14.381,0:13:17.221
You do not have to follow your 'friends'.

0:13:17.679,0:13:19.973
The truth is that sometimes our friends,

0:13:19.973,0:13:23.219
or the people we have[br]on Facebook as a courtesy,

0:13:23.219,0:13:24.582
they just suck online!

0:13:24.962,0:13:27.936
You find yourself in this[br]passive-aggressive status war

0:13:27.936,0:13:29.956
you didn't even know was happening.

0:13:29.956,0:13:33.805
Or you are looking at 50 photos[br]of the same concert from the same angle.

0:13:33.805,0:13:35.685
(Laughter)

0:13:35.685,0:13:39.355
If you want to follow artists,[br]or comedians, or cats,

0:13:39.355,0:13:40.977
you can do that.

0:13:41.186,0:13:43.737
The last thing you will do[br]is model good behaviour.

0:13:43.737,0:13:46.787
Offline we are taught not to bully[br]other kids in the playground.

0:13:46.787,0:13:49.822
We are taught to respect others[br]and treat them how they deserve.

0:13:49.822,0:13:52.328
We are taught not to kick others[br]when they are down,

0:13:52.328,0:13:54.120
or take pleasure in their downfalls.

0:13:54.120,0:13:55.771
Social media is a tool.

0:13:55.953,0:13:59.601
A tool that can be used for good,[br]for more positive groups,

0:13:59.601,0:14:03.448
for revolutions, for putting[br]grumpy cat in Disney movies.

0:14:03.448,0:14:04.775
(Laughs)

0:14:04.775,0:14:06.464
Internet is a weird place.

0:14:07.099,0:14:09.315
Is social media hurting[br]your mental health?

0:14:09.325,0:14:11.375
The answer is: it doesn't have to.

0:14:11.758,0:14:15.340
Social can tear you down,[br]yes, or it can lift you up,

0:14:15.826,0:14:19.485
where you leave feeling better off,[br]or have an actual laugh-out-loud.

0:14:20.508,0:14:22.463
Finally, I have 24 hours in a day,

0:14:22.463,0:14:25.463
if I spend two of those hours[br]on social media,

0:14:25.463,0:14:29.987
then I want my experiences to be full[br]of inspiration, laughs, motivation,

0:14:29.987,0:14:32.854
and a whole lot of grumpy cat[br]in Disney movies.

0:14:33.689,0:14:34.710
Thank you.

0:14:34.710,0:14:37.260
(Applause)