As part of our It’s Not You, It’s Them content series, we spoke to creator and mental health advocate Mo Cooper about how she’s defining her relationship with social media and Big Tech.Â
What was your relationship with social media like when you were a teenager?
Social media was a very negative place for me when I was a teenager. As a young, impressionable woman who was just diagnosed with a chronic illness and struggled with an eating disorder, I fell into a very negative space on the internet where people were competing to be the sickest. My posts in a hospital room or ones where I had a feeding tube would get more likes, comments, and views, which I correlated with people liking me more when I’m in a sicker place. It finally took a flip phone and a very long social media break to distance myself from the obsession with the dark side of social media, and deleting my medical “influencer” account changed my life.Â
What is your relationship with social media like now?
In contrast to the previous question, social media is like night and day from when I was a teenager. I decided to click the “not interested” button on posts that were negative toward my mental health, not post as many specific details about my recovery or my physical health, and honestly, I started from scratch. My algorithm has really become a comfort for me to see the positivity that can be spread on the internet. I, like many other people, get stuck in doom scrolling, but I do try to distance myself and take breaks for myself!
What are the things you most enjoy about social media?
Honestly, I love watching a silly little stupid video. If I’m having a rough day and I see the most random whimsy out-of-pocket thing pop up on my for you page, it brings a smile to my face. Of course, there is room for brain rot! Aside from the things that I see, I love bringing my creative side out. As someone who minored in art at college, nothing gave me the satisfaction in the creative outlet as social media did! Editing videos, making whimsical little posts, and posting advocacy for mental health really does bring that creative outlet to me.
What are your red flags about social media?
I definitely think a red flag would be the effect it can have on mental health, specifically eating disorders, as it can become a very competitive space. Comparison to other people’s bodies, or success, truly stems from the picture-perfect façade that many people post. There’s a quote that I’ve always told myself that I apply to social media, which is “the grass is greener on the other side because it’s fake”. And that completely encompasses the negative side of social media!
What was your reaction to the decisions in the trials taking on Meta and Google in New Mexico and California?
I honestly didn’t know a ton was going on other than seeing posts about trials, but with hearing about the news in New Mexico and California, I am so incredibly happy that something is being done about the addictiveness of social media. As someone who fell into the trap as a vulnerable young girl, I strive to help others not do the same. To hear that social media platforms are intentionally making themselves addictive for young impressionable people validates the fact that they do not care about mental health or human life; they simply care about the money. I cannot wait to see what the future holds with regulations surrounding social media!Â