Men’s health week, organised by the Men’s Health Forum, happens from 12-18 June 2023. This annual event aims to raise awareness of preventable health problems that disproportionately affect men and encourage them to gain the courage to tackle issues.
The theme this year is ‘men's health and the internet’ – which emphasises the impact of technology and social media on mental health.
Some useful questions to ask ourselves in relation to this subject could be:
- Do you find yourself looking at your phone more than you realise or intend?
- Do you ever feel that you lose time mindlessly browsing on your phone or on the internet?
- Do you ever feel anxious if you’re unable to access your phone (dead battery, forgotten or lost etc.)?
- Has your use of your phone negatively affected your relationships?
If the answer to these questions is yes, it could be a sign that your phone (or the internet in general) might be making you unhappy.
Dopamine is the chemical in our brains that creates feelings of pleasure and reward, and our smartphones are ‘dopamine-delivery services’ that are on hand all the time. Our phones give us a hit every time we pick them up in anticipation and again when we find something we like. Every single app we use knows this and is designed to keep us using them.
The Men’s Health Forum are concerned by increasing links between men’s phone use and increased risk of other addictions too – including gambling and pornography, which are easily accessible via smartphones 24/7. They have specific support and resources available on various topics on their website, including a free PDF ‘Can DO’ manual – with tips based on the 5 ways to wellbeing.
Sometimes men find it difficult to reach out for support, for many reasons. If you’re a male student at Sussex and would like support there are different options that could help.
You can complete an online therapeutic services request form – which will get you an appointment to speak with somebody at the university, or you can access Togetherall for free – which is an anonymous online peer support tool, with specific threads for men’s mental health.
You can find out more about Togetherall in the following video: