Chapter 38: Exercises

Comprehension Check

1. List three ways therapist social media content is beneficial and three ways it's harmful. 2. What is the parasocial therapy problem? 3. How does the algorithm's engagement optimization affect the quality of therapist content? 4. What are six red flags in therapist social media content? 5. What are six guidelines for responsible consumption of mental health content?

Application

6. Audit the mental health accounts you follow. For each, assess: credentials, citation quality, nuance vs. simplification, and whether they encourage professional evaluation. 7. Find a therapist-influencer post that you relate to strongly. Apply the Barnum test: would most people relate to it? 8. Compare two therapist accounts: one with high engagement (millions of views) and one with modest engagement. Which is more nuanced? Which is more simplified? What does this tell you about the algorithm? 9. For one week, notice how mental health social media content affects your self-perception. Do you feel more or less pathologized? 10. Create your own "ideal therapist social media post" that is both engaging and accurate. Is it possible?

Critical Thinking

11. The algorithm rewards oversimplification. Can therapist-influencers produce nuanced content within the constraints of social media formats? 12. Should licensing boards create guidelines for therapists' social media content? 13. Parasocial therapy may delay real help-seeking. But for people who can't access or afford therapy, is parasocial engagement better than nothing? 14. If unfollowing mental health accounts improves your wellbeing, what does this tell you about the content's net effect? 15. The "gateway" argument (social media → therapy-seeking) is often cited. What evidence exists for this pathway vs. the "substitute" pathway (social media instead of therapy)?

Fact-Check Portfolio

16. Review your 10 claims for any sourced from therapist social media. Apply the guidelines. Update your evidence rating.