Everyone has the right to get the most out of social media whilst also taking actions to feel safe. Here are some resources on protecting ourselves and coping when social media stops feeling safe. All links open in a new tab.
For those of us that have periods of being mostly at home because of illness, social media can be a way of keeping in touch with family, friends and seeing what’s going on in the outside world, as well as providing company and a way of making new friends. Even though it’s just the internet, the effects of bullying, harassment, and trolling are very real.
Although it’s great for bite-sized news, comedy and chatting, Twitter can easily get heated and some people act how they probably wouldn’t in person. Twitter’s advice page explains the tools available to dealing with this and how to reporting abuse. You can now also mute a particular account, hashtag or conversation, even just temporarily, so that you don’t see the tweets or get notifications. A good combination of these features is to block or mute the particular person or people and then lock your account for a day or two while it blows over and people lose interest.
How to control what you see, who can contact you and what to do if you feel bullied on Facebook.
NHS Choices: Coping with cyberbullying
Types of cyber-bullying, how to avoid it, how to respond, and other online help available.
Bullying UK: Cyber bullying pages
What to do if you’re being bullied online, how to deal with it and staying safe.
Advice and free counselling by phone/email/app/webchat for under 25s on any topic, including bullying
A Prescription for M.E. 