Here’s the reality about social media and what you see online:
It’s not always showing you the full story. Often it’s showing you a version of the truth that someone carefully chose to share, sometimes to get you to do or believe something that benefits or profits them. It’s up to you to figure out what’s the angle, and sift through the information you find online.
Lots of people search for information online, but it can be hard to know what to trust.
Your feed is full of ads, brands, and influencers trying to convince you what to think or do. Not everything you’ll find is accurate or trustworthy.
That includes information about weed.
A lot of what gets shared online about weed is one-sided or flat-out wrong. Influencers are ultimately selling something to benefit themselves. It could be something easy to spot, like a product or a sponsored post, but it could also be less obvious, like a lifestyle or just a vibe that gains them followers.
That doesn’t mean everything online is a lie. It just means you need to ask: who posted this, why, and what do they gain by making me believe it?
If something seems too simple, too perfect, or too good to be true…it might be just that!
Listen, you don’t have to become a conspiracy theorist about everything or delete every single app off your phone. Questioning and curiosity are a healthy part of making sense of your world.
Just remember that a lot of what you see online is curated, filtered, and sometimes just flat out not inaccurate. The best decision that you can make is one based on trusted facts, and sometimes that might take a little extra questioning and research.
Talking through what you’re seeing with a trusted friend, sibling, or adult—someone who takes your wellbeing to heart—can help too.
And if it all becomes overwhelming, the best thing you can do is just log off for a bit. Even small breaks from scrolling can improve how you’re feeling.
Setting boundaries in a healthy way can help you build self-esteem, protect your peace and mental health, and promote healthy relationships with others.
Boundaries are rules you make about how you’d like to be treated, what makes you feel safe, and guidelines that keep you feeling comfortable.
Establishing healthy boundaries may sound intimidating, but a bit of preparation can go a long way. Setting boundaries is for everyone, no matter how old you are. As you age, where you feel the need to set healthy boundaries will change.
Peer pressure can be subtle – a group assumption that everyone’s participating, a friend who keeps offering, or just a general feeling that saying yes is easier than saying no. Here are some options to explore if you’re offered weed and want to say no.
Be real in your response. You shouldn’t have to explain your reasoning too much. Real friends should hear you, respect your boundaries, and move on.
If you’ve tried weed before but don’t want to again, you can set new boundaries!
Having boundaries around your body and health should help you feel confident in your decision-making. It’s ok if they change or evolve. What matters is feeling empowered that you’re making the right choice for you.
If a person you know is pushing a boundary with your physical or emotional health, talk to a friend, older sibling, parent, or other trusted adult. You are not alone and do not have to make big decisions by yourself.
You may need help removing yourself from a situation where you feel your boundaries aren’t being respected. Prepare for unexpected changes by planning ahead. Sometimes you go somewhere with a plan, but then you see your ride using weed, or you’re continuing to be pressured long after you’ve already set a boundary and want to go home without drawing more attention to the situation. Young people can agree on a text code with a parent or other trusted adult to send if they need to be picked up from an unsafe situation, no questions asked.
Some families may also agree that in this situation, there is no punishment and no questions that night. The goal is just to get you home safe. Whatever happened may be talked about later or not at all.
You may have heard that weed helps with anxiety or helps some people feel happier. That experience is real, and it makes sense that people look for relief when they are struggling. But there is more to the story, especially for people your age.
Your brain is still growing, all the way until you’re about 25. That means the parts of your brain that help you remember things, focus in class, handle your emotions, and feel okay are still being built right now. Using cannabis regularly during that time can get in the way of that, even if it feels like it is helping at the moment.
Understanding your own mood is key. Not in a “you must journal every day” kind of way, but so that you notice what you are feeling, acknowledge or name those emotions, and then develop an understanding of why they are happening. Writing them down on a note, in a journal, on your phone, or in a mood tracker can help you recognize the feelings and stressors affecting you. Being able to recognize your feelings and their patterns is important because they can be easy to miss when you are feeling overwhelmed.
If you find that you are:
Your body and mind could be trying to get your attention. This doesn’t mean that something is seriously wrong, but talking with a doctor, parent, teacher, or trusted adult may help. If there are feelings you just can’t shake, intense emotions that feel unmanageable, or you have thoughts of hurting yourself or others, speak to a trusted adult immediately, or you can call, text, or chat 988 for the Crisis Lifeline 24/7.
Yes, you’ve probably heard about self-care a million times, but it is real, and it works. It doesn’t have to be big. Taking small moments for yourself is just as helpful!
Self-care can look like:
And remember, self-care isn’t just about doing one thing after you get stressed. It’s about building the habit of doing something for yourself regularly. Having a self-care routine to fall back on when things feel particularly bad is useful. Practicing mindfulness and healthy coping in those moments can really help ground you.
Sometimes all we need is a little bit of connection. Friends, family, or other people we feel close to are so important. Reach out to your friends, plan to do something fun together – a meet-up, a walk, a movie, or just a vent session.
And remember, just as much as you might need someone right now, they might need you too. Being open about your emotions and how you cope with them can help validate your feelings and help others feel less alone and more open to sharing theirs.
Shifting some of your focus to something new can be a great way to reclaim energy from whatever is weighing you down. You could pick up a new sport, learn a craft or skill, or try something completely random you saw online that looked interesting – flexing your mind (and maybe your body) in a new direction can fill up space that stress and boredom tend to take up. Set aside some dedicated time for your “something new” when you are feeling stressed, and you never know where it will take you!
Sometimes, your feelings are too big to sort through alone, and that’s okay. Reaching out to a trusted adult to chat through your worries is a good move.
But if you are curious about therapy, know that you don’t have to feel like you’re falling apart to give it a try. Wanting to feel better is enough, and therapy is for anyone. A lot of people, teens and adults alike, find it helpful to talk with someone who doesn’t “know” them personally, a neutral party, to sort through different moments in their lives.
