We spend a large part of our lives online – perhaps most of our interactions today happen online and very little happen outside the virtual world. Social media especially has become a very powerful tool in changing the way in which we communicate.

While the first thing anyone would tell you is that they find social media empowering and that it gives them a voice, there is also another side to the story.

Is social media just connecting us or has it also become a place for people to ask for help? Can we analyse someone’s online behavior and understand what it is that they are going through in their lives? Can someone’s posts online be indicative of their mental health?

The answer is a resounding yes!

It could be a girl who posted a sad quote on her Facebook or a boy who tweeted about life being too hard – we are leaving clues about our mental health online and perhaps it is the best place to look to see if a loved one needs help.

There have been times where people who have committed suicide have had an online record of status messages that have been indicative of them harboring such thoughts.

How do you identify if someone is going through a difficult time through their online behaviour?

Here are a few things you can notice closely to understand this.

1. What are they saying?

It is easy to dismiss what someone posts as trivial or just a rant on a bad day – but take a minute to pause and understand if it is a cry for attention. Are they talking about having a bad day or are they leaving clues that seem to hint at a bigger problem?

 

2. What kind of posts are they interacting with?

What are the posts they are liking, reacting or commenting on? Are they constantly interacting with posts that seem to suggest problems in life or hint at suicidal thoughts?

This could be a strong warning sign that this person is going through something that they don’t want to talk to the world about.

 

3. What are they sharing?

Have you noticed people who share philosophical quotes that seem to suggest that they are sad or very abruptly point to the fact that they might need some help?

In some cases, it might be because they simply liked the quote or felt someone would relate to it but more often than not sharing such content means that they are asking for help.

While making hasty judgments based on a few shares is not good – It is important to ensure that you are around to offer a friendly word or at least check on them to make sure they are okay!

 

4. Observe Patterns

It could be someone who was very active on social media not posting at all anymore or it could be someone who has suddenly become very active– paying attention closely and seeing how frequently someone is posting can help you understand about their state of mind.

 

5. De-activating the account

Just like how social media activity patterns can tell you that someone is going through something difficult – completely deactivating their online presence could also mean they are going into a shell.

We do have a lot of reasons to stay away from social media including work-priorities or it can simply be a choice but if you think it is because someone is going through a lot in their life, there is definitely a correlation between the two.