From fanning the flames of misinformation and extremist content to encouraging doom-scrolling and FOMO, much of contemporary online life is vilified, often for good reason. Exposure to such content can do genuine harm in a variety of ways and the connections between the addictive qualities of social media (and the dopamine hits it produces) have been laid out by psychiatrists and commentators alike. With the focus overwhelmingly on the algorithmically bad, it’s easy to forget that the internet – and in particular social media – can still be an amazing, enriching, even considerate and positive place to be. 

A new study from mental health foundation Made of Millions therefore offers up some surprising conclusions regarding Gen Z’s use of digital media in their quest for better mental healthcare – and challenges many of our assumptions regarding the impact of technology, the internet and social on how people access mental health guidance.

Produced in collaboration with research partner Culture Co-Op, the Remapping Recovery report’s findings suggest that as Gen Z attempts to seek help from struggling healthcare systems, it is employing digital resources for self-diagnosis to fill the gaps, with increasingly effective results. Commenting at the launch of the report, Made of Millions’ co-founder Lauren O’Shaughnessy stated that current support systems are not only hard to navigate but often inaccessible to young people, so they are inevitably turning to non-traditional resources for help.