A presenter and social media influencer has spoken out about her complex relationship with social media and how she's taken steps to make it a more positive space for herself and her followers.
Jess Davies, 29, who is from Penrhyn-coch near Aberystwyth, has been involved with the NHS Wales ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaign to speak about her mental health challenges and the negative role that social media can play. She explained that the negative feelings often stem from comparing herself to others online and how taking breaks away from screens, being kinder to herself, and putting things into perspective by getting outside in nature and talking to others has helped.
In the past, social media led Jess to feel under pressure to conform to the idea of "looking perfect". She said: "I’ve been on social media since I was 18 and I think since growing up around social media it can really have an effect on your mental health and self-worth - we’re not just comparing ourselves to the girls in our class or at work, it opens us up to millions of people online. For me I struggled to put up a barrier for my real life and online - I was checking my phone constantly, searching for validation and likes, worrying about how I looked, and whether I should be editing my photos, so it really affected my mental health."
