Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute

Social Media and Children’s Mental Health

Join us November 14, 2024 in Washington, D.C. for a special one-day conference event.

calendar  November 14, 2024

clock  8:00 AM - 4:30 PM

location marker  National Press Club
       13th Floor
       529 14th St NW
       Washington, DC 20045

Topics →

Policy | Mental Health | Youth Perspectives | Parenting | Wellness | Online Community | Depression | Algorithms | Social Relationships | Education & Learning | Public Health

Event Overview

Connect. Empower. Innovate

The complex relationship between social media use and children’s mental health requires a multidisciplinary, solutions-oriented approach.  While there are many groups in the United States working to better understand, and act upon, the effects of social media on the developing brain and children’s mental health, the primary limitation of many of these individual efforts is their ‘either/or’ approach, which leads to a restricted focus on either child and family behaviors around social media use or technical aspects of social media platforms that warrant regulation. What is urgently needed is meaningful integration of these perspectives.

The overall aim of the HCHII convening is to foster collaboration across sectors and identify opportunities for shared action to improve children’s mental health in the digital age – including innovative research strategies that focus on outcomes that matter to families and ultimately allow us to test the effectiveness of mental health promotion approaches. 

Register to join us

Agenda

TimeSession

8:00 - 8:30

Check in and Breakfast

8:30-8:45

Welcome and Introductory Remarks

Dr. Caroline Kistin, Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute
Dr. Ashish K. Jha, Dean, Brown University School of Public Health
Alan Hassenfeld, Hassenfeld Family Initiatives
Dr. Mike Silverstein, Director, Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute

8:45-9:00

Opening Remarks and Introduction of Keynote

Dr. Jenny Radesky, Co-Director American Academy of Pediatrics Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health

9:00-9:40

Keynote

Jessica Grose, Opinion Writer, The New York Times

9:45-10:40

Panel 1: Youth Panel

Youth Perspectives on Mental Health, Wellness and the Supportive and Detrimental Aspects of Social Media

Moderator: Dr. Esa Davis, University of Maryland School of Medicine
Panelists: Mariah Ajiboye, Luvie Benavides, Arianna Bouzi, Semisola Dauda, Miley Duarte, Alexa Montepeque, Brissia Rodriguez Reyes, Semsang Tamang, Astrid Vargas Morales (Young Voices)

10:45-11:15

Demonstration

Youth Experience with Social Media Algorithms and Management

Introduction: Elizabeth Burke Bryant, J.D., Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute
Speaker: Marco Lima, Brown University

11:20-12:00

Panel 2: Parent Panel

Parenting in the Age of Digital Media: Common Challenges, Strategies, and Recommendations for Change

Moderator: Dr. Andrea Spencer, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Panelists: Bernita Bradley (National Parents Union), Dr. Iris Mabry-Hernandez (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality), Emilie Martin (National Parents Union), Ramona Santos Torres (Parents Leading for Educational Equity)

12:00

Lunch (to eat during policymaker talks)

12:15-1:05

Lunchtime talks: Policymakers

Policy Aims and Approaches to Social Media Regulation

Moderator: Dr. Ashish K. Jha
Speakers: Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Congresswoman Kim Schrier  (D-WA-08)
Conversation with Chelsea Canada (National Conference of State Legislatures)

1:05-1:10

Break

1:10-1:25

Innovative Approaches to Tech/Life Balance: Helping Families Thrive in a
Digital World

Jennifer Heifferon, Program Director, Child Well-Being, California Partners Project

1:30-2:15

Panel 3: Educator/Teacher Panel

Device Use and Impact of Social Media in the Educational Setting

Moderator: Arianna Prothero, (Education Week)
Panelists: Dr. Francisco Durán (Superintendent, Arlington Public Schools), Dr. Jennifer Lillis (Wheelock Education Policy Center, Boston University)

2:15-2:30

Break

2:30-2:40

Speaker

Sonia Chessen, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

2:45-3:30

Panel:

Research Opportunities and Approaches in a Rapidly Changing Landscape

Moderator: Dr. Claire Wardle, Cornell University
Panelists: Amanda Lenhart (Common Sense Media), Dr. Ashley Maxie-Moreman (Children’s National Hospital, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences), Mary Madden (Georgetown University, Data and Society), Dr. Jaime Sidani (University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health)

3:30-4:15

Moderated Discussion

Next Steps and Collaboration Across Sectors to Address Outcomes Important to Children and Families

Moderator: Dr. Nakela Cook, Executive Director Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute

4:15-4:45

Summary and Closing Remarks

Dr. Caroline Kistin, Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute
Dr. Jenny Radesky, Co-Director American Academy of Pediatrics Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health
Alan Hassenfeld
Dr. Michael Silverstein, Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute

Partners

 

logo for AAP

Thank you to the American Academy of Pediatrics Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, funded by the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration, for their thoughtful leadership in planning this event and partnering to create community-informed solutions.