Pup CrowAug 2, 2023

Anyone here in fedi know of useful resources (experts, articles, books, videos, podcasts, con sessions, whatever) on... idk what to call it... Internet safety and online hygiene?

I've noticed that in kink & queer communities in particular, there seems to be a lot of folks that might be more vulnerable to the dangers of online interactions, and I'm curious if there exist any resources to help folks stay safe & healthy when interacting in this virtual space.

(Boosts appreciated to gather info!)

Show threadPup CrowAug 2, 2023

Like, lots of young people, neurovarious people, lonely people, and systemically oppressed people who all might have varying ways they could be taken advantage of or led down unhealthy or outright physically dangerous paths.

I'm wondering about resources about personal privacy, emotional manipulation, parasocial reliance, financial dangers, etc. Really anything that you've come across that might be helpful to others.

Thanks, beautiful nerds, awruuf 💜

Show threadFatkatAug 2, 2023
@PupCrowbar I'm going to recommend Cognitive Behavior Therapy in general, Dialectic Behavior Therapy specifically. CBT systems can very much help manage the emotional impact & boundary issues social media poses. It's not going to cover everything (e.g. verification/vetting content is important but not MH related) but I find these systems legitimately helpful enough that I think everyone stands to benefit from them. It's also easier to practice when other folks understand or are familiar w/ it. .
Show threadPup CrowAug 2, 2023
@fatkat that's a great recommendation, thank you! Out of curiosity, do you have any opinion as to whether CBT can be self-administered, or if it should generally be practiced -or at least initially started - with a professional therapist?
Show threadFatkatAug 2, 2023
@PupCrowbar There's workbooks freely available online for DBT. I always see materials for specific types of CBT, not really the umbrella phrase. So there's self-help entry-points but you want to have a clinician teach you & to be able to discuss lessons. I was exposed to it having to go to an PHP/IOP program. I don't quite know how you sign-up w/o a big reason. Also, like golf, there's ways to practice it wrong but be effective. Having a trained 3rd party helps avoid that.
Show threadFatkat
@PupCrowbar Here's an example of some worksheets I found on-line. https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheets/dbt/none
For a full intro to DBT you want to find something that covers the 4 main "pillars" Distress Tolerance, Interpersonal Communication, Mindfulness(they copied that entire pillar from Zen), & Emotional Regulation. Essentially, these systems all provide a structured approach to applying coping skills and don't really conflict since they are all striving for good emotional hygiene.
DBT Worksheets | Therapist Aid

Download free DBT worksheets. Topics include emotional regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, and more.

Therapist Aid
Aug 2, 2023 at 3:47pmWeb
Show threadFatkatAug 2, 2023
@PupCrowbar I think MH improves and degrades like regular health. (MP vs HP) If we think of it like that we should really have things like preventive MH practices and the equivalent of MH 1st aid/triage. Sorry for the tome, I can go on about this for a while.
Show threadPup CrowAug 2, 2023
@fatkat don't be sorry, this is great, I really appreciate it! It's a lot to take in right now, but I'm considering trying to compile some resources to be able to easily share out in the future. Would you mind if I reach out to you again at that point, if I wind up going down that path?
Show threadFatkatAug 2, 2023
@PupCrowbar I would not mind at all. I think a lot of people assume I'm spouting psycho-babble and not proven psycho-therapeutic technique. I might not be certified (maybe I should try?) because I'm not a clinician but I use this stuff everyday in ways to help me and it's effective. I've also found, clinicians can teach the concepts but you have to learn how to apply the techniques to your situation. No one else can really do that for you.
Show threadPup CrowAug 2, 2023

@fatkat yeah, that's ok! I'm not necessarily looking for professional answers, just seeking examples of things individual people have encountered that helped them stay physically and mentally safe and healthy when interacting with online spaces.

Thanks so much!

Show threadFatkatAug 2, 2023
@PupCrowbar One last ranty point. I hate how corpo-land scooped Mindfulness and started pedaling a watered down version of it. I described four pillars. Imagine that as a stool w/ 4 legs. You can sit on a seat with 1 leg and it can sorta work but wouldn't you prefer having a stable base and not a single leg made of balsa?