Can Social Media Use Be More Health-Promoting? Description and Pilot Evaluation of a School-Based Program to Increase Awareness and Reflection on the Use of Social Media

Abstract

Social media is a big part of adolescents’ lives and may have both positive and negative effects. We want to find ways to make the negative effects less and the positive effects stronger so that adolescents feel better overall. Since there are few proven methods to address this, we created a program for schools that combines different approaches and ideas from adolescents, teachers, researchers, and community workers. In this paper, we explain what the program is about and how it was received by pupils and teachers to make it even better. We provide a detailed program description and theories about how it can impact their well-being to make sure that other people can understand and replicate our program, to avoid wasting time and resources on ineffective interventions. We asked pupils questions to see what they thought about the program. We also talked to teachers and pupils in small groups for more detailed feedback. The results showed that pupils were generally satisfied with the program. They thought it was relevant, engaging, and useful. Boys rated it slightly lower than girls. In the conversations with teachers and pupils in focus groups, they told us that the program made them more aware of how they use social media and its impact. Overall, the pupils’ evaluation of the program showed a need for this kind of intervention. However, we still need to evaluate the program’s potential positive effects.