Adolescent depression and reports of sadness and anxiety have increased over the past decade. 

In response governments around the world are introducing efforts to ban youth from social media, citing it as a cause of the youth mental health crisis. This talk will review what is known about the potential impacts of smartphones and social media on adolescent mental health, including what is being learned from experimental studies that restrict or reduce access. New findings from our research following young adolescents on their devices will be shared alongside a discussion of how to best support adolescents in an increasingly digital age.

This session will help participants:

• Understand current trends in youth mental health

• Learn what research to date has shown about the connection between social media and youth mental health

• Identify gaps between common narratives related to social media and youth mental health and evidence generated from carefully designed and implemented studies

• Identify evidence-based practices and principles to support young people online