Is social media actually bad for adolescent mental health?
- Digital and technology
- Mental health
Social media has long been blamed for causing a crisis in adolescent mental health. But this is an oversimplification, and the scientific evidence indicates a far more nuanced picture of this relationship.
Several large-scale studies in the UK and US, with thousands of participants each, have now shown that the link between screen time and mental health is either non-existent or so miniscule that it's not worth being concerned about. This is reassuring, but it's also doesn't tell the full story. On average, spending more time on social media doesn't affect mental health, but that doesn't mean no one is being harmed by using these platforms. What seems to be happening is that some adolescents are being harmed by social media, while others are not affected at all, and others actually experience benefits to their mental health.
Target Audience
Anyone interested in the lives of adolescents, particularly those working with them in education and clinical settings, will benefit from the improved understanding offered in this webinar.
The learning is targeted at professionals across career stages. No prerequisites of knowledge or experience are required, although it will be of particular relevance to those working with adolescents (approximately 10-24 years old).
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this two-hour webinar, participants will:
- Understand some of the latest research into the effects of social media on adolescent mental health.
- Understand the different ways in which social media can potentially cause harm, from social comparison with others to viewing images of self-harm.
- Recognise the importance of the individual: different adolescents do different things on social media, and not all adolescents are affected by social media in the same way.
- Understand the importance of considering what is happening in the 'outside world': 99% of cyberbullying victims, for example, are also being bullied at school.
- Be aware of the neglected positive effects of social media. From identity exploration to having fun with friends, social media can also sometimes be very good for adolescent mental health.
Presenter: Lucy Foulkes
I am an academic psychologist, working as a Prudence Trust research fellow at the University of Oxford. I am also an honorary lecturer at University College London (UCL) and a senior research fellow at the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families. I am the author of What Mental Illness Really Is …And What It Isn't (Penguin Random House, 2021) and am writing a second book about adolescent development, due for publication in late 2024.
I have an extensive track record of public science communication. I have discussed mental health research on television (e.g. BBC's Child of Our Time), radio (e.g. BBC's All in the Mind and BBC's Start the Week) and podcasts (e.g. The Guardian's Science Weekly). I regularly give public talks and workshops to schools, charities, and national and international organisations (e.g. Citibank, Spectris). As part of my academic role, I give expert talks at universities and academic conferences, and run seminars and workshops with undergraduate and postgraduate students.
This webinar will be delivered on Zoom via BPS Learn. The link will be available on BPS Learn 1hrs before, the link will also be emailed to everyone who has registered.
Cost
Non members: £87.50 (+VAT)
Society Members: £52.50 (+VAT)
Register
Online bookings will close at 12:00pm on 24 September 2023.
Places won't be available after this point and only those registered will be allowed into the session.
Already registered? Visit BPS Learn to get your link to join the webinar
If you have any questions, please email [email protected]