General Information

Social Media First Aid Info

The Problem

"Social Media First Aid" refers to the immediate, practical steps taken to address and mitigate negative experiences or crises encountered on social media platforms. It operates similarly to physical first aid but is tailored to online environments, focusing on issues like cyberbullying, harassment, misinformation, and other forms of digital distress. The aim of Social Media First Aid is to provide quick and effective responses that minimize harm and support the well-being of individuals affected by these negative experiences. This approach is crucial in today’s digital age, helping individuals navigate and recover from the unique challenges posed by the online world..

The Approach

Become a part of the solution by being trained in Social Media First Aid.

Social Media First Aid, you will learn a step-by-step process for addressing concerns regarding the impact of social media on the well-being of those around you.

With the information learned, you will be able to help others help themselves, as well as anyone else around them being impacted by social media.  
By getting trained in

Main Topics

• Cyber-Psychoanalysis
• Triple-Consciousness Theory
• The Social Media Persona Social Media Awareness

The Method

As a way to analyze the life of a person, it is most helpful to use the Bio Psycho-Social-Spiritual-Cultural framework. This Framework provides a deeper understanding of the potential impact of social media engagement on a person's total well-being, as well as what risk factors to look for.

1. Identify challenges within the Biological self such as sleep disturbances, eating changes, energy levels and somatic experiences.

2. Identify the challenges within the Psychological self. The Psychological self revolves around aspects of yourself such as various forms of cognition and overall thinking patterns.

3. Identify challenges within the Social self. Externally, the social self covers the external aspects of your life such as your family, friends, lovers, strangers, community, and the larger society.

4. Identify challenges with the Spiritual Self. The spiritual self pertains to the essence of life, what many would call the source of being alive. This can refer to faith-based belief systems, religion, or any other forms of practice that are intended for self-improvement, self-fulfillment, purpose, or enlightenment that focuses on the inner being.

5. Identify challenges within the Cultural Self. The cultural self encompasses things that relate to how one identifies to the world and in the world, as well as the values and core beliefs one holds including the origins of those beliefs and values.

The Plan

Social Media First Aid ARCS

‍An ACTION PLAN for helping those impacted by Social Media.
Use the 4 steps to guide your conversation and try to be as natural as possible.
Highlight the person's strengths and refer them to the Social Media First Aid website.

• Ask: Do you have any stressors?
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• Reflect: Listen to what they have to say and reflect their perspective back.

• Confirm: Clarify if they want to receive help or not, and then confirm what you understand about their response.

• Strengthen: Refer them to the Social Media First Aid Community for resources. Strengthen their ability to help self or someone else.

The Next Steps

Get Trained in Social Media First Aid and join the ranks of those equipped with targeted knowledge, understanding, and wisdom to help with the challenges of social media use.

Build the community of SMFA Shareable Content for your social media platforms. Share the wisdom, understanding, and knowledge with those in your social networks to help social media users from the inside out.

Become a Certified Social Media First Aid Trainer and help replicate the positive impact of SMFA by becoming a Certified SMFA Trainer for your region - learning to facilitate and train others that want to help decrease the maladaptive impact of social media use.

Those who complete the training will receive a completion certificate.