Introduction

In Canada, depression and anxiety are among the leading causes of burden of disease in youth children. Epidemiological data shows that five to nine percent of children are clinically depressed, while 21% to 50% report depressed mood (Maras, Flament, Murray, Buchholz, Henderson, Obeid & Goldfield, 2015, para.5). This elevation in statistics is raising concerns about long-term mental health consequences for children during their middle childhood. Frequently, many children who are in fact addicted to social media find it difficult to adjust to their emotional change in middle childhood; and therefore, social media has become one of the principal factors that influence the mental health of children. Within the umbrella of social media, it is cyberbullying that has become the main source causing children to develop mental health problems.  Cyberbullying is undoubtedly the prevalent "weapon" in manipulating children's feelings including depression, anxiety, and isolation and in some cases suicide (Richards, Caldwell & Go, 2015, para.6). The subsequent point to acknowledge is, whilst social media allows individuals to remain updated about what is going on with their friends’ life events, at the same time it can have deeply troubling consequences with children and young people being exposed to too much information. This can lead them to compare themselves with their friends, eventually leading to feelings of inadequacy, jealousy and even envy (Charoensukmongkol, 2017, para.1). Social comparison can invoke low self-esteem when an individual is already dissatisfied with their personal life or their appearance. Additionally, social media hosts a multitude of positive elements for children and young people, a prime example being the comfort an individual can gain in finding peer support groups on social media. This is one of the most pertinent approaches in healing mental illness. It has to be acknowledged, however, that social media can and does significantly influence children's mental health.