Hopelab & Well Being Trust 91
Appendix
"I have a lot of internet friends who always pick me up when
I'm down, so the second I feel down, I turn to them and all
is right again."
– 20-year-old Latina female
"Influences me to draw or make something new or try
something new."
– 14-year-old Black male
"I don't know how to describe it, but whenever I feel down,
there are always people there to help me, whether my friends
or strangers I've only met through the internet."
– 15-year-old White male
"I like to look at what my friends are doing. It makes me happy to
see them being happy. Takes my mind off my troubles and stress."
– 16-year-old White male
"Sometimes I look back on my posts and remember how happy
I was during that post and how I will feel like that again some-
time in the future."
– 20-year-old Latina female
"Social media allows me to rewrite my own narrative. When I'm
depressed and anxious, creating another perfect alternative life
for others to see feels validating to me. It reinforces the idea that
maybe I'm not as badly off as I perceive myself to be. If others
can believe it, I can almost convince myself."
– 22-year-old White female
"Lets me know that others are going through the same things
that I am."
– 17-year-old Latino male
"I find people with similar things that are making me sad and
I read about how they handle it."
– 14-year-old Latina female
