TO celebrate the Year of Young People, every week in 2018 The National is giving a platform to young Scots. This week, 21-year-old trainee teacher Jennifer Black

THA tòrr fhiosrachaidh anns na naidheachdan mu dhaoine òga a tha ceangailte ris na meadhanan sòisealta agus ciamar a tha e a cur dragh orra. Tha 70,000 daoine òg gan sgathadh fhèin. Mar a thuirt an Royal Society for Public Health, tha na tachartasan na trom-inntinn a’ fàs 70% an taca ri 25 bliadhnaichean air ais.

Nuair a bha mi na b’ òige -tha fios gur e rudeigin a chanar gu tric- cha robh an teicneòlas a th’ againn an-diugh. Tron àrd-sgoil bha mòran ag atharrachadh agus sin far an do thòisich na meadhanan sòisealta a bhith nam pàirt den bheatha làitheil againn. Bha e gu math doirbh a bhith a’ cumail suas leotha agus mura robh thu a’ cumail suas leotha, bha trioblaid agad. Tha tòrr sna meadhanan a tha gu math dona do dh’inntinn daoine. Tha na dealbhan na daoine air feadh an t-saoghail gu math neo-phrataigeach. Nuair a bha mi anns an treas bliadhna na h-àrd-sgoil, bha trioblaid agam le fèin-ìomhaigh. Tha fios aig daoine nas sìne gur e photoshop a th’ ann air an dealbhan ach dhomh fhìn is do dhaoine eile, tha e fhathast duilich airson a bhith toilichte leis a’ chorp againn nuair a tha dealbhan air feadh an àite le daoine aig meud 6 no rudeigin caol mar sin.

A-nise, tha mi nam thìdsear agus tha a’ chlann a’ crochadh air teicneòlas. ’s urrainn dhomh fhaicinn ciamar a tha an teicneolas agus na meadhanan a cur dragh air a’ chloinn. Tha mi air fhaicinn gu bheil fonaichean-làimhe aig faisg air a h-uile pàiste ann an clas 5-7 na bun-sgoil an-diugh. Tha e gu math brònach seo fhaicinn air sgàth ’s gu bheil mi a’ smaoineachadh gu bheil e a’ cur stad air an t-sonas aca agus an leanabas agus tha iad air glacadh ann an saoghal fuadain nach eil coltach ris an fhìor-saoghal idir.

Tha sinn a’ fuireach ann an saoghal far am bi daoine a’ faireachainn diùid is mì-thoilichte mun deidhinn fhèin. Uaireannan, sin air sgàth ’s gu bheil e a’ coimhead mar a tha beatha dha-rìribh foirfe aig a h-uile duine ach sin dìreach air-loidhne. Ach cha chuir duine sam bith dealbh no post mu rudan dòna anns a’ beatha aca. Ma chuireas tu seachad tha thu barrachd air dà uair air Facebook gach là, tha thu nas coltaiche a bhith a’ cur sìos ort fhèin ‘s tha e nas coltaiche gum bi barrachd dhuilgheadasan intinn agad.

’S e rud gu math cudromach is cuideachail a th’ anns na meadhanan sòisealta ach feumaidh sinn tuigsinn gu bheil e doirbh do dhaoine is do dhaoine òga air loidhne. Chan eil taic gu leòr ann do dhaoine òga aig àrd-sgoil no aig bun-sgoil fhathast.

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THERE is a lot of information in the newspapers about young people and the connection to social media and how it causes harm to them. Nearly 70,000 young people self-harm. Like the Royal Society for Public Health says, the rates of depression have risen by 70% in the last 25 years.

When I was younger – I know this is a phrase that is said often – there was not the technology we have today. Through high school lots of things were changing and social media was being introduced and becoming part of our daily lives. It was difficult to keep up with it all, and if you were not able to keep up with it all you were in trouble and sometimes bullied.

A lot of the media is negatively influential on people’s mental health. The photos of people around the world are quite unrealistic. When I was in my third year of high school I had difficulties with my self-image. Older people understand that there is a lot of photoshop in these photos but for myself and other people it is still incredibly difficult to be happy with our bodies when we are seeing images of people who are size 6 or a very thin size like that.

I am now a student teacher and I see how dependent children are on technology. I have witnessed the destructive impact of technology on the children and their mental health. I see a mobile phone being used by almost every child in primary 5-7. It’s quite upsetting to see this because I think that it changes their childhood and almost cuts it short, and can impact on their happiness because they are trapped in this unrealistic virtual world.

We live in a world where people are feeling insecure and unhappy about themselves. Sometimes this is because it looks like everyone has a perfect life, but this is just online. Nobody puts pictures or posts up of the destructive bits or low points in their life. If you spend more than two hours on Facebook each day, you’re more likely to feel bad about yourself and you are more likely to develop depression.

Social media is important and can be helpful, but we need to understand that it can be difficult for young people online. There is not enough help for young people in high school or primary school yet.