Behind vloggen is the sky not so blue

The digital generation of teenagers – sometimes referred to as again – I would rather sit at home in front of the phone than go to a party. Studies show that they are not as interested in drinking, dating, having sex or get a driver's license as young people in previous generations.

however, It does mean that today's parents can take a breather, because Youtubegenerationen at the same time feeling increasingly worse mentally. In a much-publicized article in The Atlantic a couple of years ago said the psychologist Jean M Twenge that mental ill-health among young people today can be explained by the drastically increased skärmtiden. Instead, in order to meet the actual friends, you meet their virtual friends – on Youtube, Instagram or other social media.

the virtual friends are doing tipptopp. In SVT's new series ”My perfect life” speaks four vlogger out about life behind the happy, painted facade.

" My life has not gotten better by having many followers on social media. In the beginning you get a little bekräftelsekick of more followers, and more lajks, but it lasts only one second. Then you start to compare with last week, or how many lajks other sheep, " says vloggaren Sabina Decireé with to 43,000 followers on Instagram and 122.000 subscribers on Youtube.

Sabina Decireé has 122.000 subscribers on Youtube. Photo: Allis Nettréus

meet Sabina Decireé, Joakim Kvist, Felicia Bergström and Jimmie Star psychotherapist Poul Perris in a group dialogue about their life stories and problems. In the work will Poul Perris in contact with both young people and adults who have very skärmtid.

" If you look at the research there are studies that indicate a correlation between increased skärmtid and mental illness. What then is the chicken or the egg, we need more research on. But people who use the screen as a constant stimulus may have problems with relationships and friends when the screen is used as a distraction from the things you really would need to take hold of, " says Poul Perris.

”social media is becoming like a community where I have felt less alone,” says Joakim Kvist Photo: Allis Nettréus

in the program to help cope with the grief and loss over having lost her mother when she was eleven years old. In comments on social media, she often praised for being ”kind and cheerful”, but describes at the same time a anxiety where she lies in the fetal position and feel a ”huge black hole in the chest”.

Joakim Kvist suffer from constant performance anxiety and talks about how a full-time job in parallel with a youtube channel and a tour of sweden with influencerrörelsen Tubecon led to an average night's sleep in two three hours, and this disease. For him, social media has, however, entailed more support than the problem:

" of Course I believe that social media can impact negatively by creating unattainable ideals. But me, they have helped by putting me in contact with others that I have been able to download support from. I have been able to vent my performance anxiety and my experiences of bullying when I was younger. Social media is becoming like a community where I have felt less alone, " says Joakim Kvist.

ideal life” is not the first to be open with anxiety and other mental health problems. Bianca Ingrosso has won a large audience, including through the element where she candidly talks about anxiety and eating disorders. And the Youtubestjärna who received the most prizes at the Guldtuben last year, Therese Lindgren, suffering since 2012 of panic disorder and therefore is never at the gala to receive their awards. ”Sometimes I feel not so good,” reads the title of her book, which became 2016's best-selling Swedish non-fiction book.

– Therese Lindgren started a trend that made many of us dared to talk about mental illness. When I began to show a more vulnerable side of myself I got a boost in response and number of followers. At the same time, I notice that some followers are sometimes measured on the difficult, " says Sabina Decireé, which has continued to meet with Poul Perris then recording a year ago, but now private once a week.

Psychotherapist Poul Perris. Photo: Allis Nettréus

too early to draw far-reaching conclusions about how social media affects our relationships, stresses, Poul Perris. But one reason why they can create problems, could be that they also are a part of a larger värderingsskifte in the society:

" All we humans are social creatures and need to feel seen, affirmed, valued and included. It is not easy, and today we have a society whose values do not always promote what we the people need to feel good. Right now there is a very strong norm to you as an individual shall be independent and strong, preferably with a successful and successful entrepreneur. When I was growing up, there were, on the contrary, something that we called the Jante law, but it has a teen today have never heard of, " says Poul Perris.