Young people, social media and health messaging

Blog - 13 June 2025

We asked young people in Kingston how they feel about social media and health. Their answers showed a mix of connection and concern—social media is where they go to talk, learn, and express themselves, but it also brings pressure, doubt, and anxiety. What they want most is honest, accessible support from people they can trust—delivered in ways that fit their world.
A photo of two young women looking at something on a phone together. Bold text across the image reads 'Young people, social media and health messaging'

In 2024, Healthwatch Kingston and Youth Out Loud! asked young people for their thoughts on social media and health messaging. We reached out to students at Kingston College and young people at the SEND transitional event, receiving 60 responses across the two events.

A photo of a man stood behind and information stall with a banner for 'Youth Out Loud!' and an an information stall with fresh fruit. The stall appears to be in a school gymnasium.

Who are Youth Out Loud! 

Youth Out Loud! (YOL!) is a group of young people dedicated to improving local health and social care services. They work with Healthwatch Kingston and use their voices to advocate for better health and care services for young people.  

Visit the YOL! website

Most Popular Social Media Platforms

  • YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, and WhatsApp are the most widely used platforms among respondents.
  • Instagram and Facebook also have significant usage, while platforms like Threads, Bereal, and Twitch are less commonly used.

Reasons for Using Social Media

The top reasons include:

  • Communicating with friends and family
  • Seeing what others are doing
  • Following musicians and sports teams
  • Learning and getting support (e.g., mental health, healthy lifestyle)

Concerns About Social Media

Key concerns include:

  • Being treated meanly or dishonestly
  • Feeling sad or anxious due to content
  • Exposure to fake news and extreme views
  • Negative impact on self-esteem and sleep
  • Pressure to respond quickly and body image issues

‘’I am cautious about what is true or not’’

‘’It can spread false news amongst young people. It can cause mental health issues amongst young people, people that worry about their weight and other things.’’

Desired Local Information and Services

Respondents want more information about:

  • Mental health
  • Good sleep
  • Healthy eating and physical exercise
  • Online safety

Less interest was shown in topics like smoking cessation and dental health.

An image of a bar chart titled 'What ares of health do young people want to hear more about? Mental health is the most popular topic at 66%, Good Sleep seconded at 61%, safeguarding is the lowest at 2%'

Preferred Ways to Receive Information

Between outreach sessions, we added a question about how young people would like to hear this information from health professionals. This meant we only received 20 responses to this question.

Most popular methods:

  • Direct communication from professionals
  • Social media
  • In-person sessions (class visits or assemblies)

Less preferred: Leaflets and self-directed online searches

‘’I want to hear from someone who knows. Probably come to me as I am not gonna spend my free time googling that.’’

‘’A class is better so people feel free to ask questions and feel safer.’’

Looking for information about health and care?

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