Over that time he has come to see changes in our vulnerable youth, and attributes those changes to the rise of social media and online networking.

The desire to be liked - and to be seen as being liked - is a battle that has taken on new meaning with online tools.

Wanting to be liked is not new; after all we are social creatures and approval from others is social currency.

However, being liked has taken on a much grander scale since our worth can be measured by the number of thumbs ups, hearts or laughs received.

Social media can enhance the ability to connect with others, but, as Dr Cerchez found, can also add pressure and negatively impact brain development in young people.

"The subtle effects of being online and the need to be liked has now been shown to cause changes in adolescent brain development, leading to behaviours which can be difficult to deal with - social anxiety and other dysfunctional thought processes and erratic behaviour," he said.

Deakin University academic Dr Richelle Mayshak said users of social media platforms where post popularity was measured exhibited feelings of inadequacy or reduced self-esteem.

"These negative feelings are thought to come from a perceived lack of popularity when a post doesn't receive 'enough' likes," Dr Mayshak said.

Anxiety stemming from such metrics can be dealt with early, before it becomes a life-threatening issue, Dr Cerchez points out, along with the need for more funding for services dealing with the beginning stages of mental health issues.

Early intervention means there is time to reset and start again or, as Dr Cerchez explains it, "re-program" and "change software".

With our new Mental Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff a few weeks into the job, now is the time to think on that early intervention strategy.