Twitter Spaces for #MentalHealth #PeerSupport: Features, Rewards, Risks, and Best Practices. (Written in January 2022)

Last month, I got back into social media to improve my mental health. In early 2020, partly due to a manic episode just prior to the lockdowns, I nuked all my social media accounts to dust. COVID isolation over the last two years has (unsurprisingly) disallowed me to connect in person with others, but I wanted to connect with peers somehow. With the new year, I began my grand reentrance into the arena of social media for the sake of improving my network of peer support. On January 1^st I found Twitter Spaces, and my social media life will never be the same!

Over the last six weeks, I have participated in dozens of mental health Spaces and I feel more supported by peers than I ever have. NOTE: It is very important to understand that peer support on Spaces is no substitute for professionally licensed mental health therapy. I write this to highlight Twitter Spaces as one potential source for non-professional peer support.

 ‘Spaces’ are the new social audio feature of Twitter. For those of you familiar with Clubhouse, Spaces is Twitter’s answer to the threat posed by that relatively new platform. In Spaces, you can find real-time conversations about every topic under the sun (NSFW warning: including topics where the sun does not shine, so be wary). Being a new feature, Spaces is far from a perfect product. Like anywhere else on the internet, trolls abound. However, the positive features of the platform have been incredibly helpful to me far beyond the downsides. It is good to know what can be gained in Spaces, and what should be avoided, depending on your personal situation. Here are features of Spaces, and some things to know:

Feature – Peer support Spaces are available nearly 24/7.

Pro: Whenever I need encouragement or need to vent my frustrations, I have been able to quickly find a Space that allows me to get the support I need.

Con: There is a tendency for some to over-indulge in Spaces, hopping from one to the next for hours on end. It is fun, but it can also be semi-addictive, and also very draining.

Best Practice: Know why you are in a Space. To hang out? To seek peer support? Once you have met your intent, you have no duty to others that you need to stick around. Your personal situation must be considered above any feelings of obligation to others to stay for hours on end to your own detriment.

Feature – Spaces are interactive.

Pro: If you want a chance to comment, share, or ask questions, you can do so very easily. Or you can just use emojis. Or you can just listen. I appreciate that I can choose my level of involvement.

Con: As stated before, trolls sometimes come into Spaces. An attentive and experienced Spaces host will be able to spot them before they get on a mic and act in a way that could trigger listeners, but it is a risk in any room.

Best Practice: Get to know some hosts who you think run well-moderated discussions and have shown themselves to be good troll-patrollers. Good hosts will be able to keep discussions on topic or will be able to decide if taking detours is part of the fun.

Feature – Spaces can be anonymous.

Pro: Sometimes it is easier to talk anonymously to someone who is not in your inner (in-person) circle about mental health issues, because you don’t need to redefine your relationship to do so.

Con: If you are seeking support anonymously, you may be opening yourself up to questions from other users that could put you on the spot and make you very uncomfortable.

Best Practice: Having well defined boundaries will help you be safe and secure in a Space. Decide what your boundaries are before being asked things like your location, your age, your pronouns, or your family situation.

Hopefully these tips give you some insight into the communities that are growing on Twitter in 2022 and beyond, and help you decide if you want to be a part of them too. Spaces aren’t perfect, but you may meet some wonderful people there. And maybe I’ll see you in one of them!