The Impact of Social Media on Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health
Social media, in all of its various forms, has become an integral part of the older child and teenage experience. It can have both a positive and negative effect during
a time when young people are developing their sense of identity and when peer influence and acceptance are so important. This seminar will explore the vulnerabilities of the child/teenage brain and the influence social media can have on their behavioral health. Discussion will include the importance of assessing a child’s and adolescent’s social media use, identifying potential negative effects that may arise from the use of social media and interventions to address behavioral concerns.
At the conclusion, attendees should be able to:
- Identify the most commonly used social media by children and adolescents
- Explain the vulnerability of the child and adolescent brain to the influences of social media
- Discuss potentially negative mental health effects from the use of social media
- Explain how social media use can place children and adolescents at risk for harm
- Discuss how indirect communication fosters behaviors that impact relationships
- Motivate clients toward change through self-discovery
- Use intervention strategies to mitigate the negative effects of social media
- Teach best practice strategies for social media use by children and adolescents.
Featuring:
Susan Corley, LCSW-C, is an outpatient therapist practicing at Brook Lane’s North Village location where she provides individual, family and group therapy. She has over 30 years of experience in the treatment of children, adolescents and adults with a variety of mental health concerns. She has presented a number of seminars on eating disorders and the teenage brain and has a particular interest in how the adolescent brain responds to various social influences. Susan earned her Masters of Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.