Man up! Open up? Teenage boys’ interpretations of social media content about mental health

Studies indicate that boys who suffer from mental health problems are less likely to seek help from traditional caregivers and more likely to turn to social media.

The research project aims to increase knowledge about the mental health-related messages teenage boys encounter in the content published by social media influencers, and about how teenage boys interpret and make use of them.

The project will fill the existing knowledge gap about how representations of mental health and well-being are created and interpreted in relation to different ideals of masculinity.

It contributes to making visible the impact that gender norms may have on representations of mental health problems as well as on young people’s health behaviour in general. The project takes place in collaboration with the School Health Service and two upper secondary schools.

Data is collected by two researchers in a multistage process, including a survey in which teenage boys are invited to name relevant social media influencers (year 1), the selection of videos published by those influencers for further analysis (year 1), and elicitation interviews with the boys, in which video clips are used to prompt discussion (year 2).

A combination of thematic and discourse analytical approaches will be used.

The result will be presented at interdisciplinary seminars, conferences and in peer-reviewed journals in the field of childhood and masculinity studies and critical digital health studies (year 2 and 3).