Using Social Media Wisely Privacy, Behaviour and Keeping It Healthy

Social media platforms are free to use because they make money, mainly from advertising. Understanding how they work helps you to use them rather than be used by them.

Most platforms use algorithms to decide what appears in your feed. These systems are designed to maximise engagement, which means the time you spend and the actions you take, such as likes, comments and shares, because that gives more opportunities to show you adverts. Content that provokes strong emotions, such as outrage, tends to spread because it gets reactions. The feed that you see is therefore not a neutral picture of the world or of your friends' lives. It is selected for its power to keep you looking.

Platforms also collect a great deal of data about what you view, how long you pause, who you interact with and where you are, and use it to personalise content and advertising. Features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, notifications and streaks are designed to make it hard to stop. None of this is secret, and none of it means that social media is bad. But it explains why your intentions for a quick look can become an hour, and why it takes deliberate effort to use platforms on your own terms.

What you post may be seen by more people, for longer, than you intend. A few settings and habits protect you.

Review your privacy settings on each platform. Decide who can see your posts, who can find you, who can tag you and who can message you. Consider making your account private if you do not need a public profile. Check which apps and websites are linked to your account and remove those you do not use. Switch off location sharing, and be careful about posting in real time when you are away from home, which may tell others that your house is empty.

Think about your digital footprint. Employers, universities and others often look at candidates' social media profiles. Posts, photographs and comments can be screenshotted and shared out of context even if you delete them. Before you post, think about whether you would be comfortable if it were seen by people outside your intended audience. Avoid posting angry messages when you are upset, and be careful with jokes that could be misunderstood.

Protect your accounts with a strong, unique password and two-step verification. Be sceptical of messages from friends that ask for money or contain odd links, since their accounts may have been hacked. If your account is hacked, report it to the platform immediately and tell your contacts.

Online, we often behave differently than we would in person. The lack of tone and body language, the distance and the audience can all make conversations more hostile.

Before replying to something that annoys you, pause. Ask whether the reply will help, whether the person is likely to be listening and whether you would say it face to face. Many online arguments are unwinnable, and you are entitled to walk away. Muting, unfollowing and blocking are healthy tools, not signs of weakness. Curate your feed so that it contains people and topics that enrich your life, and remove those that leave you feeling drained, angry or inadequate.

Beware of comparison. People tend to post their best moments, so scrolling through other people's holidays, achievements and bodies can create a distorted impression of how well they are doing compared with you. Remind yourself that you are seeing a highlight reel. If you notice that a particular account or platform consistently makes you feel worse, take a break from it.

Be generous. Online kindness has a real effect. Respond with encouragement, share things that are useful and honest, correct your own mistakes and acknowledge your own uncertainty. Platforms are shaped by what their users do, and each of us contributes to the tone.

Most people have a positive experience of social media, but abuse and harassment are real problems. Knowing your options helps you to respond.

If you are being harassed, keep evidence by taking screenshots with dates, usernames and links. Use the platform's tools to block and report the accounts. Tighten your privacy settings. Tell someone you trust, and do not feel that you have to deal with it alone. If the abuse involves threats, stalking, sharing of intimate images or hate crime, report it to the police. If you are in immediate danger, call 999.

UK law covers a range of online conduct. It is an offence to send messages that are grossly offensive, indecent, or threatening, or which are intended to cause distress, under laws such as the Communications Act 2003 and the Malicious Communications Act 1988, and the Online Safety Act 2023 introduced newer offences, including sending threatening communications, knowingly sending false communications intended to cause harm and sending unsolicited sexual images, known as cyberflashing, in England and Wales. Sharing intimate images without consent is a criminal offence. Defamation, which is publishing a false statement that causes serious harm to someone's reputation, can lead to civil claims. What you post can therefore have legal consequences.

The Online Safety Act places duties on platforms to remove illegal content and to protect children, with Ofcom as regulator. Use the reporting tools, and if a platform fails to act on illegal content, you can raise it with Ofcom. For support, organisations such as Victim Support and the Revenge Porn Helpline offer help.

The research on social media and wellbeing is mixed, but a few findings and common-sense steps help.

Studies suggest that how you use social media matters more than how long. Active use, such as messaging friends and sharing your own news, tends to be associated with better outcomes than passive scrolling through other people's lives. Heavy use, particularly at night, is associated with poorer sleep, and some people, especially young people, are more vulnerable to its downsides than others.

Be deliberate. Decide what you want from each platform, such as keeping in touch, learning or entertainment, and be wary of using them to fill gaps or to avoid feelings. Turn off non-essential notifications, set time limits using built-in tools, remove apps from your home screen and keep the phone out of the bedroom. Schedule social media for particular times of day, rather than checking constantly.

Take breaks. A day or a week away from a platform can show you how much it is affecting you. Many people find that they miss it less than they expected. If you find that you cannot stop, or that it is damaging your relationships, work or mood, seek support.

For families, social media raises particular questions, and there is no single right answer. Open communication matters more than any technical control.

Most major platforms set a minimum age of 13, though many younger children use them. Check the age ratings and features of the apps that your children use, and use the parental controls and family settings that platforms and devices provide. Talk about what they see, who they talk to and how they feel about it. Make it clear that they can come to you if something upsets them, without fear of losing their device.

Agree family rules, such as phone-free mealtimes, no devices in the bedroom overnight and checking in about new apps. Adults should follow the same rules, since children notice what we do. Discuss the permanence of posts, the risks of sharing images and the importance of not meeting strangers who contact them online. Explain what to do if someone asks for photographs or makes them uncomfortable: stop replying, keep the evidence, block and tell a trusted adult. The NSPCC and Internet Matters provide practical guidance for parents.

Be aware of the signs of problems: changes in mood or sleep, secrecy, withdrawal or distress after using devices. If you are worried about a child, speak to them calmly, and seek help from your GP, school or organisations such as Childline.