Shania Shayal Prasad 
Mental health specialist Prem Singh says social media platforms can be positively utilized to disseminate effective messages in terms of mental health advocacy and literacy.
She claims that, as online bullying and trolling are still prevalent in society, such platforms can be used to raise awareness about their appropriate use among children and individuals.
Singh says positive parenting is needed to keep tabs on children’s activities on social media, as such issues are disturbing and can have serious consequences for their mental health.
“So parents need to take active control over overseeing, monitoring, or supervising the social media usage of their children. And it’s very important when issues such as online bullying, trolling, or shaming arise that parents can be honest and very, very open with their children in order to talk about some of the topics that we still consider taboo.”
Singh says spending quality time with children can reduce risk-taking behaviours among children.
“And these are like risk-taking behaviours. Alcohol and other drug users, drinking, and of course, online bullying and using safe languages around, utilizing social media, and making sure that parents are able to actually talk with their children and paint a very long-term picture in terms of consequences for behaviours and consequences for the negative actions that are taken online.”
Singh says youth and adolescents who utilize social media platforms need to be encouraged to use them very wisely.
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