Guest article by Maria Walsh, Member of the European Parliament (Fine Gael, EPP), Ireland; Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice & Home Affairs; Committee on Gender Equality; Committee on Agriculture & Rural Development; Committee on Regional Development Co-Founder & Co-Chair of the European Parliament Mental Health Intergroup
The digital world has transformed how we communicate, learn, and seek support. But within this transformation, a silent crisis is unfolding: the impact of online spaces on mental health.
As an MEP working on mental health, I am increasingly alarmed by the ways misinformation and disinformation – particularly online – are undermining our well-being and leaving lasting intergenerational effects. Today’s digital platforms are saturated with harmful narratives: from false health claims to the toxic amplification of fear and stigma. For young people, especially, the constant exposure to manipulated truths and online pressure can be devastating. Over the past number of months, I have been working on Deepfakes which are having disastrous consequences on young people, and in particular, young women. The Cambridge Dictionary defines a deepfake as “a video or sound recording that replaces someone’s face or voice with that of someone else, in a way that appears real”. A deepfake spreads fast, is easily believable and can be extremely difficult to curtail once published. I believe they represent the next frontier of modern harassment. Not only do they present a threat to the integrity of our political and media environments, they can wreak havoc on the private lives and mental health of individuals. To have any hope of protecting our mental health in the online era, robust regulation is essential. Regulation that works, and regulation that protects. The EU has already taken strong steps through the Digital Services Act and the Artificial Intelligence Act, but mental health must be more explicitly integrated into our digital policy agenda.
More broadly, we desperately need an EU Mental Health Strategy. I have been campaigning on this issue for many years now, and while slow, I can see progress happening on this at a political level. The strategy must be properly resourced, and multi-faceted. Several areas of focus should include:
- Education: Provide our young people with practical and preventive education on mental health that makes a tangible difference, including a specific programme to support initiatives on mental health in schools.
- Clinical support: Increase the numbers of psychiatric nurses, doctors and therapists available in national healthcare systems.
- Research & Development: The EU should allocate funding for research into mental health issues, including the causes, prevention, and treatment of mental illnesses. This will contribute to the development of evidence-based interventions to mental healthcare.
Mental health is not a side issue. It is a core public health issue, and it is central to how we build a resilient Europe – offline and online. If we allow fear, division, and disinformation to rule our digital spaces, we will pay the ultimate price – the health and happiness of our friends and families. We have a prime opportunity to transform our digital evolution into a wellbeing revolution. That means responsible regulation, accessible care, and putting mental health where it belongs: at the core of all our policies.