Johannesburg, 31 August, 2022 / 9:01 pm (ACI Africa).
Regular access to social media forums is a factor in mental health challenges among the youth in South Africa’s Ennerdale Parish of the Catholic Archdiocese of Johannesburg, the pastoral agent for the Mental Health Ministry (MHM) has said.
In an interview with ACI Africa, Chester Brown who is the MHM agent at All Saints Ennerdale Catholic Church of the Archdiocese of Johannesburg said, “Every time I meet with young people to address youth matters, social media always comes up.”
“Societal pressures, fashion concerns and social media always come up during our discussions with the youngsters. They are left alone with those devices,” Mr. Brown reiterated, adding that the interactions young people have on social media forums “lead to a myriad of questions and insecurities”.
Young people, the pastoral agent in South Africa said during the Monday, August 29 interview, “see how other youngsters look and own expensive items, and they don't have these things … they feel they are not as fortunate or not as beautiful. When they look at youngsters out there, they compare themselves to them and question why they are not like that?”
“The social pressures that go on with this kind of behavior or thought patterns often lead to cases of mental health issues,” Mr. Brown who is affiliated to the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) told ACI Africa.
