Looking after your self-ie: A guide to finding your balance on and offline

In 2018, RSPH launched the first Scroll Free September campaign – the world’s first large-scale campaign aimed at encouraging people to have a healthier and more meaningful relationship with social media. The campaign was a huge success, with an estimated 300,000 people taking part internationally and significant traction from the world’s press.

Building on the research undertaken for the RSPH Status of Mind and New Filters reports, RSPH has developed the Online Learning course Looking after your self-ie: A guide to finding your balance on and offline, which aims to help social media users to build a meaningful, more balanced relationship with platforms.

Looking after your self-ie explores social media’s impact on the following topics:

Loneliness and relationships
Self-image and self-esteem
Sleep
Online bullying
A new section about the effects of COVID-19 on social media usage

1 of 3

Which social media platform has the biggest impact on loneliness?

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Explore social media's potentially positive impacts on relationships

3 of 3

Learn about online trolling and cyber-hate

Aims of this course

Looking after your self-ie: A guide to finding your balance on and offline aims to help social media users build a meaningful, more balanced relationship with platforms.

The programme focusses on awareness-raising; encouraging meaningful use by educating users on the potential harms and benefits of social media. You will learn about how social media platforms affect your health and wellbeing and understand how social media is changing the ways we communicate with others.

Is this course for you?

This online course is relevant to all members of the public of all ages and in particular for:

People who want to learn more about the effects of social media on their mental and physical health
Anyone who has seen their social media usage affected by increases in stress or anxiety and wants to know how to develop a healthier balance with social media.
People who feel that social media is affecting other parts of their life, including sleep, self-esteem and financial health

Pricing and Options

This CPD accredited course can be purchased for £26.50 and includes a certificate of completion and 3 CPD points to recognise your learning. Alternatively, the course can be accessed for free, without accreditation.

Access and Duration

The course is accessible through RSPH LearnFree, our LMS platform for free public health courses and resources.

This online course is split into six topics, with revision quizzes to test your knowledge. It can be paused and restarted whenever you like, and you have six months to complete the course. The entire course involves roughly three hours of study.

Sign up to RSPH LearnFree

All free RSPH online courses are accessed through RSPH LearnFree, our online learning platform for free courses, which can be used across all devices.

Access this course

Purchase the CPD version of the course

Purchase this course

Course Contents

The course is split into six key sections - with interactive elements to maintain your attention and make learning easier. At the end of each section, you'll find a Revision Quiz to help boost your learning.

Part 1: Introduction

An introduction to the need for this online course
An introduction to the potential harms and benefits of social media use

Part 2: Loneliness and Relationships

An introduction to loneliness and relationships
Groups affected by loneliness
How social media has an impact on our relationships and feelings of loneliness
Older people using social media
Tips to reduce the impact of social media use on our relationships

Part 3: Sleep

The importance of sleep
The different stages of sleep
The relationship between sleep and mental health
The impact of sleep deprivation
The impact of FOMO on sleep
The compulsive nature of social media
The impact of blue light emission on sleep
Tips to reduce the negative impact of social media use on sleep

Part 4: Self-image and self-esteem:

An introduction to social comparison
How 'likes' impact self-esteem
How social media impacts body image
Mindfulness and distraction from the present moment
Wellness and misinformation
Identity formation
Social media and self-care
Body positive content
Tips to reduce the negative impact of social media use on your self-image and self-esteem

Part 5: Online Bullying

An introduction to bullying, online bullying and trolling
Impacts of online bullying
How to respond to online bullying as a target and a witness
Anti-bullying and the law
Tips

Part 6: COVID-19 Update

An overview of some aspects of life that have been affected by COVID-19
Tips on looking after your mental health during the coronavirus pandemic
Useful resources

Certification

Once you have completed the CPD accredited version of the course you will receive an electronic RSPH CPD Completion Certificate and 3 CPD points.

What is the RSPH?

Established in 1856, the Royal Society for Public Health is a registered charity and independent campaigning organisation dedicated to improving and protecting the health of people just like you – both in the UK and all around the world.

Our Membership is made up of thousands of doctors, healthcare professionals, academics, journalists, politicians and many, many other people from all walks of life, who care passionately about public health policy, delivery and its impact on all of our lives.

To help fund our work, we also offer a number of key services that contribute in different ways to fulfilling our mission. Whether that involves educating people directly, training them in their workplace, providing official accreditation for products or services, or as one of the only OFQUAL-recognised awarding bodies in the UK licensed to offer a range of vocational qualifications in public health.

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