Disclaimer: The information expressed in this podcast is of general nature. It should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease for therapeutic purposes as a substitute for the advice of a health professional.
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'Pop psychology' content on social media: Should we trust it?
SBS Indonesian
08:33
At times we feel the need to research about things that burden us, such as friendship issues, romance, conflicts in the workplace or difficulties in finishing our tasks.
Lo and behold, social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok are rich in contents discussing those subjects. Influencers - some of them psychologists or counsellors - discuss how to increase one’s productivity or focus, or how to get over a broken heart.
Such content, at times categorised as pop psychology, has gained popularity. To some people, actual therapy might seem like something unaffordable, thus making advice from these influencers an easy alternative.
As influencers offering psychology-related contents climb in popularity, words such as ADHD, narcissism and the like, increasingly find their way into everyday conversations. However, are those jargons currently used willy-nilly? Can we actually trust contents titled, like ‘here is how to get your ex back’ or ‘Is this actually a hidden autism trait?’?
SBS Indonesian spoke to psychologists currently residing in Australia.
Ghassani Swaryadini is a psychologist practicing in Brisbane and also finishing her PhD at the University of Queensland.
She is quite critical about psychology - related content on the internet, especially on social media. According to Ghassani, as content consumers, we need to be skillful in choosing psychology-related content.
Psychologist Josephine Ratna suggests we be circumspect towards internet content as well as those making them.
Josephine is currently practicing as a Senior Psychologist and Positive Behaviour Specialist in Western Australia
If you live in Australia and are currently going through a hard time or a crisis affecting your mental health, you can call services such as Beyond Blue, Lifeline or access counselling through your workplace.
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