"Follow Me and Like My Beautiful Selfies": Social Media Use and Adolescent Mental Health
More teenagers are using social media, and more adolescents are suffering from poor mental health. Universally, social media use became more common during the pandemic because of social distancing and COVID-caused isolation. Social media can provide platforms for bullying and exclusion, unrealistic expectations about body image and sources of popularity, and normalizing risk-taking behaviors, and can be harmful to mental health. However, if adolescents use social media in a purposeful and positive way, it can enhance their self-esteem and help create meaningful social connections.
This webinar will focus on helping school and community leaders understand the association between social media use and adolescents’ mental health and explore what actionable steps are being taken across the country to help address these challenges.
The Center for Public Education (CPE) of the National School Boards Association (NSBA) reviewed over a hundred relevant empirical studies, professional or federal research papers, and media articles. Join the NSBA’s CPE and Center for Safe Schools for this free 60-minute webinar where we will:
- Discuss what adolescent mental health issues have manifested the most during the pandemic.
- Identify how teenagers use social media and what research says about the association between social media use and adolescents’ mental health.
- Review professional recommendations, state policies, and local practices that have been adopted to promote positive use of social media and mental well-being.
This webinar will be recorded and available to the public within one week. We do not offer CEUs, but certificates of attendance will be available upon request after the event.
Meet the Speakers
Adam Lustig is the director for leadership services and training at the NSBA. In this role, he has been leading NSBA’s Center for Safe Schools and Dismantling Institutional Racism in Education (DIRE) initiative dedicated to understanding and recognizing the root causes of barriers to equitable educational outcomes for each child.
Jinghong Cai, Ph.D., is a senior research analyst at the NSBA’s CPE. Within the four years since joining NSBA, Dr. Cai has published a dozen data-based reports and research briefs on a wide range of K-12 education issues. She also writes articles for the Research Column of the American School Board Journal (ASBJ).
Sheronda Helton serves as the NSBA DEI consultant and co-founder of Equity in Action Consulting. As an educator, DEI practitioner, and consultant, Helton has over 15 years of experience partnering with non- profit organizations, government agencies, corporations and businesses, K[1]12 public schools and districts, universities, and foundations. She strongly believes in promoting inclusion and diversity practices to create equitable educational and workplace environments.