Mental Health

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Mental Health Issues Involving Teenage Social Media Use

Parents need to develop strong relationships with their children before their children create social media accounts!  Helping them establish healthy self-esteem beginning at a young age, guiding them, and reinforcing a good conscience can help pave the way in their becoming positive users of social media.  When parents are communicating with them and demonstrating what positive role models are, it can help reduce potential negative experiences children would have encountered, at least in the sense of how they view themselves.   To expand further, societal mores and societal pressures are mutually exclusive.

Several articles about the experiences of young people on social media can be found at the Pew Research Center.  “Teens’ Experiences on TikTok, Instagram And Snapchat,” (Faverio, Park, & Gottfried, 2026) and “Why Many Parents And Teens Think It’s Harder Being A Teen Today” (Faverio, Gottfried, Radde, Baronavski, & Atske, 2024) are two of the items available for examination. 

The responses are from various demographics, and the conclusions are nuanced, especially between parents and teenagers.  One of the disturbing comments from teens is that they believe (falsely) that they are supposed to live up to the expectations of people they have met on social media.

Nagata, Huang, Hur, Li, Helmer, Weinstein, and Moreno (2025) discussed “Health Benefits Of Social Media Use in Adolescents And Young Adults,” which is reported from a clinical perspective.  The authors stated that while there can be negative consequences associated with social media use, there are variables that could make the experiences more enjoyable and fulfilling for young people.

Social media can be a sophisticated universe with various platforms, offering different information.  Also, young people have to understand that real life exists in the present and with people they actually know.  These are people they can call up on the phone or walk up to in person.  Social media can be a valuable communication tool, but they shouldn’t neglect their studies, extracurricular activities, and hobbies.

As an aside, positive opportunities exist if allowed to come into fruition!  Now, more than ever, parents can have a closer relationship with their children in the off chance an unpleasant situation develops from social media use.  The social media angle can be a springboard because the parent is the first line of defense when they tell their children and reiterate that they are there for them, regardless of what they’re going through.

Vikki

References

Faverio, M., Gottfried, J., Radde, K., Baronavski, C., & Atske, S.  (2024).  Why Many Parents And Teens Think It’s Harder Being A Teen Today.  Retrieved From https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/feature/why-many-parents-and-teens-think-its-harder-being-a-teen-today/

Faverio, M., Park, E., & Gottfried, J. (2026).  Teens’ Experiences on TikTok, Instagram And Snapchat.  Retrieved From https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2026/04/15/teens-experiences-on-tiktok-instagram-and-snapchat/

Nagata, J. M., Huang, O., Hur, J. O., Li, E. J., Helmer, C. K., Weinstein, E., & Moreno, M. A.  (2025, August).  Health Benefits Of Social Media Use In Adolescents And Young Adults.  National Library of Medicine. National Center for Biotechnology Information. 14;13(1):22

10.1007/s40124-025-00357-7. Retrieved From https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12356748/

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THE 2025 SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 COMMEMORATION IS LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY

We need to consider how our priorities may have been affected after that ghoulish day twenty-four years ago.

Has our worldview expanded, or changed?  Is it for the better?  

Did we switch occupations, leaving Corporate America behind, and are now in positions where we help others have better lives?  Perhaps we didn’t leave Corporate America, but became advocates by using our position to create policies that improve the quality of life for others.

What about our attitudes toward others?  Do we view people as fellow citizens on this earth, or now view people outside our group (whatever “group” means to the reader) as enemies?  Hopefully, the former, not the latter, for positive mental and emotional health!

Did we become more religious, or suddenly turn away from God?

Do we no longer take life for granted and live each day to the fullest that we can because we understand that tomorrow is not guaranteed?

It would take an incredibly unusual person to claim NOT to have been affected by the events twenty-four years ago.

Vikki

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The Duty To Protect Doctrine

There are various interpretations of the Duty to Protect Doctrine across the country.  Unfortunately, the language can be nuanced and sometimes vague altogether.  There is no uniform language of instructions in many circumstances.  Be that as it may, therapists providing psychological or clinical sessions with patients have an important role in guarding the latter’s privacy.

First, the therapist should exhibit professionalism in attitude and behavior.  Second, the therapist should provide the best treatment for the patient’s condition that their expertise allows.  Third, the sessions should be held in the most secure office location imaginable.  Fourth, conversations between the therapist and the patient in those sessions are confidential.  Fifth, those conversations, when necessary and appropriate, can include the therapist’s supervisor for guidance.  Again, these particular conversations are held privately.  Sixth, the electronic filing system of patients’ medical records needs to have the utmost security system installed before a therapist even thinks about having their first patient.  Finally, prescriptions made by the clinician for the patient can be considered correspondence, but that correspondence is solely between the therapist and the patient. 

As an aside, when a patient threatens someone’s life, the therapist can throw out patient confidentiality altogether.  Is the threat legitimate?  They will have to use discernment to figure that out.  The therapist will have entered the Duty To Warn Doctrine arena when they deem the threat valid!  They will need to understand what their statute indicates before contacting the intended target, the intended target’s family, and finally, the police.  In that order, to prevent another Tarasoff case!

Vikki

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The Happiness Calendar For June 2023

Vikki

Reference

Newman, K. M. (2023). Your Happiness Calendar For June 2023. This Month, Be Your Best Self. Retrieved From https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/your_happiness_calendar_for_june_2023

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Wounded Warrior Project – “Combat Stress Recovery Program”

The “Combat Stress Recovery Program” is a valuable resource which assists former military personnel during the healing process.  Its’ Project Odyssey is “an outdoor, rehabilitative retreat that promotes peer connection, challenging outdoor experiences, and healing with other combat veterans.”

Vikki