The coronavirus pandemic has placed a tremendous strain on our mental health, not least due to the considerable stress associated with the risk to our health and financial wellbeing caused by the virus and the measures taken against it respectively.  With many of us consigned to our homes, the internet has been the source of refuge for many of us, but is the online world helping our mental wellbeing?

Research from a few years ago explored the issue of “nocebo effects” online, and describes a scenario where we’re so exposed to negative content that we believe things to be much worse than they actually are.

The media has been awash with coverage, not only of the alarming footage from hospitals and care facilities around the world, and the daily death tolls, but of the initial symptoms sufferers are believed to suffer from.  The coughs and fevers are shared with various other conditions, including the bog standard flu, and with the lack of testing in many countries, it’s difficult to gauge whether one has had the condition or not.

If one were to add stress to such illnesses, however, then the possibility of aggravating heart disorders or further burdening a respiratory system that is already attacked by the virus seems only likely to rise.

Nocebo effects seem to work when we’re exposed to emotionally charged negative information, especially when it’s from an authoritative source.  This exposure can result in us feeling the symptoms highlighted in the coverage, with fear and anxiety tending to exacerbate the process.

Online civility

This nocebo effect can generally be reduced by reducing our exposure to some of the negative aspects of the pandemic, with structures of emotional support aimed at reshaping risk perception in people.  Can social media help to fulfill that role? A recent study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem suggests that it’s certainly possible.

The research found that people with larger social networks tend to use fewer uncivil remarks online.  It’s a form of social grooming as the construction of strong social ties allows for reliable informational exchange and emotional support.

“In a time of isolation and collective trauma, social media allows for an immediate sharing of intense emotions. Prosocial behavior and positive affect may help to promote societal resilience,” the researchers conclude.

As with so much, you suspect that it depends to a large extent on the ‘company’ you keep online, and whether those in your network are providing you with reliable information and emotional support, rather than a constant stream of negativity.