Social media vs mental health: The silent battle facing young Kiwis

Monday, 31 March 2025

A mental health advocate who has just completed a tour of North Island schools says the biggest challenge facing young people today is still social media.

Jack Jensen, from Spark That Chat, believes that while the negative effects of it are significant, there has been a breakthrough.

'There's been a real shift toward being proactive,' he explains.

“It was really cool to be able to connect with [young people] to be able to talk about how to utilize the phone and take the power back instead of being used and abused by it.”

Jensen also noticed a significant change in young men, who have traditionally struggled to express their emotions due to societal expectations.

“This ‘hard man’ stigma, which is going, and has got to go - there is so much less of that.”

'It's about embracing and understanding your feelings and emotions, so you can understand them, look at them, not become them, but let them pass when they pass and continue to move on.“

While society is more open about discussing mental health than ever before, Jensen believes there is still a missing piece—actionable solutions.

'We need to empower young people to take the reins, to take action, and to manage their experiences in a way that supports their well-being,' says Jensen.

'[Spark That Chat is] two hills before the cliff.“

Watch the full interview by clicking on the video above.