I don’t know how to support youth living in a digital world
Being a parent and supporting your child’s mental health comes with challenges and complexities. In 2024, it can be even more confusing with the added layer of the digital world young people are growing up in. Technology is ever-present for youth, affecting their mental health. It comes with online comparison, loneliness, complex dynamics of body image and self-perception, and many other things.
For parents, knowing what children are now struggling with in a digital world is hard, and being able to address it and provide support is essential.
Join MHA and Arizona State University for this 1-hour session where we will:
- Describe current challenges youth face regarding technology
- Hear from parents about how they are helping youth navigate technology and their mental health
- Hear from youth about how they want support for their mental health
Funding for this series is provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Child Traumatic Stress Network.
Meet the Speakers
Katey McPherson has served as a K-12 educator and administrator for 26 years. She has spent the last ten years working alongside families and schools in the digital citizenship and wellness lane. Katey also doubles as the mother of 4 teenage daughters who are high school age. The lens of a fellow parent allows her to relate to her audiences as she navigates the digital landscape in the "trenches" with them. Katey is the current director of community partnerships for Bark Technologies, Inc.
Rana Uhlman, M.A. is a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Arizona State University, specializing in evidence-based therapy with children, teens, and their families. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Rana strives to maintain the balance between fostering youth's budding autonomy while honoring parental experience and expertise, creating a collaborative environment that addresses the multifaceted aspects of adolescent mental health.
Aimee Resnick is a junior studying social policy at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Originally from Centennial, Colorado, Resnick hopes to return to her home state to run for the state legislature. Previously, she successfully helped write and pass three legislative acts regarding upstream mental health promotion. The bills provide crisis line information to all students statewide, establish the first public health program to prevent eating disorders, and prohibit weight-based bullying in Colorado. Resnick is highly passionate about ending weight-based discrimination and promoting health at any size. She loves to bake, sew, quilt, play Red Dead Redemption, and press flowers in her free time.