Course Description:
The advent of internet-available mobile devices is thought to contribute to the recent decline in adolescent mental health, as social lives have become more heavily documented, providing new opportunities for social comparison. This session provides an overview of studies on adolescent social media use and internalizing symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depression, worrying about the future, feeling sad or “left out”, feeling self-conscious). With adolescents spending upwards of 9 hours a day (13 hours during COVID-19 quarantine) on mobile devices, understanding what content adolescents are exposed to and the experiences they have in the new digital ecosystem, specifically during this sensitive period of brain development, is critical for providers of adolescent healthcare. This session will also expand upon the gender differences that emerge in internalizing symptoms during adolescence and how some of those differences are attributable to social media use.
1. Identify links between increases in social media use and mental health problems.
2. Describe 2 ways that girls experience more issues with social media than boys do.
3. Identify 2 approaches to starting a conversation about social media use with a teen.
Course Link: CE Value (credits): 1
https://msu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_afqtCKmPDLIQz4y
CE Type: Standard
Sponsor:
Michigan Center for Rural Health
Contact Information:
Renee Calkins
248-345-1872