Social media 'going to a really dark place' warns Touchstone mental health charity chief executive Alison Lowe

Turning to social media can provide a much-needed way to connect with others but the chief executive of one mental health charity sees the potential for it to cause more harm than good at times.

Former Leeds councillor Alison Lowe, who now heads up Touchstone, said: “People are feeling in despair and when you’re raging against the world and there’s no-one to talk to, social media is almost like your invisible friend.

“You can pour out all the venom online. You can’t see who you’re hurting, but unfortunately there are other people on the other side who are being hurt.”

By its very nature, social media is a reflection of how people are feeling and users are encouraged to share their personal experiences and reaction to talking points.

Alison said: “The feedback we’re getting more and more is it’s going to a really dark place. The impact of lockdown and coronavirus has made people worse.

“I think social media is worse as people are feeling worse. It’s because people’s mental health is being compromised. When you’re on your own in your own little world, you lose perspective.”

Both in her work with Touchstone and in her previous life as a ward councillor for Armley, she has seen what a double-edged sword the online world can be.

When she was elected as the city’s first black female councillor in 1990, the world wide web was barely a year old and it had nothing like the role it holds now in daily life.

Fast forward to the final two elections before she stepped down in 2019 and providing evidence of how well you engaged with people online was a requirement of the Labour Party process for selecting candidates.

“You have to be on social media,” Alison said. “Most people would be on Facebook and Twitter. I was only on Twitter because I tried to limit the time on social media accounts I had to keep mentally well.”

It undoubtedly allowed her to connect with a wider range of people in her ward and to show them how she was working to serve the community, but its instant nature meant those she represented also felt she should be available round the clock.

She said: “Sometimes I’d see angry constituents who would send you something on social media and then because you don’t respond straight away, they would really start to slag you off.

“Those were even people you had a very good relationship with. Some of it was how they saw it as you disrespecting them [by not replying]. It could be quite a combative arena.”

During election times or when particularly contentious issues were playing out locally, debate on policy matters could spill over at times into personal attacks.

It is telling that Alison considers herself lucky not to have faced racist remarks, although the same cannot be said for attacks based on her gender or views.

“Absolutely I could have had people resorting to [comments on] my race,” she said. “I’ve been so lucky that not one person has used the ‘n word’ on social media. I have to say that it doesn’t stop them writing to me to say that though.

“I’ve had a lot of stereotypical gender stuff. I had ‘man hater’ because I always operated from a feminist stance.

“I’ve had individual criticism over perceived inadequacies as a councillor too. I once got abuse for support I had given to travellers, but that was less about me and more related to the issue.”

More recently, her support for the rights of trans and non-binary people has attracted attacks on social media by what she describes as “very powerful lobbies” with opposing views.

When she tweeted support in 2018 for a council decision to cancel an event in Leeds amid concerns that its organisers were transphobic, she was inundated with hostile comments.

She said: “I think they’re entitled to their view - but they don’t want me to have mine. It put me on a collision course with them.

“There were about 30 people that I blocked as a result of that. They’re quite scary. Their view of the world is so narrow that this then becomes almost harassment.

“They’re absolutely determined they’re going to bring you down. You feel hunted, you do feel unsafe.”

For her, engaging with the most aggressive online accounts is rarely productive.

“It can have profound implications, not just on you as a councillor if you’re stupid enough to enter into that negative language yourself but it can also be very debilitating for you as an individual if you’re receiving hate on social media,” she said.

Others have suffered much worse abuse, she said, citing tweets that tell people to kill themselves or make threats of rape and violence towards individuals or their families.

She added: “The potential for that evil to unleash itself on you is always there. You’re always trying to balance being authentic and saying what you believe, but also managing what you say so you don’t trigger the vitriol or hate of a group of people.”

One of her newest responsibilities certainly has the potential to do just that as she leads the city-wide review into statues and monuments prompted by Black Lives Matter demonstrations.

Alison said: “I’ve not had anything really bad but there’s been a couple of comments where it’s clear from the outset that people have made their minds up about where the direction of travel is. What I try to do is bring them on board.

“What I’m trying to do is use Twitter to say actually this is part of the conversation, your voice is as important as anyone’s is. Some groups think only Black Lives Matter voices will be heard - that’s not the case. All voices need to be heard.”

Should comments directed at her on this or any topic become offensive or aggressive, her position is clear: “If anyone does that, I just block them.”

Much of this might lead you to wonder why she even bothers but Alison has also seen the way others on Twitter can rally to provide support, reporting abusive comments on her behalf so that those responsible are removed from the platform.

“In terms of organisations like Touchstone, social media is a massive opportunity to engage with people,” she said. “Despite the negatives we’ve talked about, social media is more of a good thing than a bad thing if used properly.

“When used sensibly and sensitively, it can be a thing of great power and beauty. It’s just a shame it’s not always so.”

The Yorkshire Evening Post's Call It Out campaign is sharing real life experiences of abusive online behaviour and asking our readers to help play their part in reporting it to account admins, social media platforms and, where needed, the police.

Also in news: "I would be fascinated to come face to face with online trolls" says face of Leeds United TV Emma Jones

A message from the Editor:

Leeds has a fantastic story to tell - and the Yorkshire Evening Post has been rooted firmly at the heart of telling the stories of our city since 1890. We believe in ourselves and hope you believe in us too.

We need your support to help ensure we can continue to be at the heart of life in Leeds.

Subscribe to our website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and via our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.

For more details on our newspaper subscription offers, click here.

Thank you,

Laura Collins