Webinar: Online Experiences and Adolescent Mental Health (Lunchtime session)

Event organiser

Black Dog Institute

Event description

Screen-based devices play a central role in adolescents’ daily lives, serving purposes such as education, entertainment, social interactions, and creativity. While public concern about the impact of screen use on adolescent mental health has grown, evidence of a direct link remains unclear. The association between screen use and mental health is complex, influenced by many factors. This webinar will report on new data about this association based on an analysis of the data provided by Australian adolescents currently enrolled in the Black Dog Institute’s Future Proofing Study. These findings will be framed within the broader context of screen use research and offer recommendations for both societal and individual changes to help adolescents benefit from online experiences while reducing potential harms.

Dr. Lyndsay Brown has worked for five years as a Research Officer on the Future Proofing Study, now the largest and most comprehensive longitudinal study of adolescent mental health in Australia. Between 2019 and 2021, thousands of Year 8 students across Australia were recruited for this six-year study and each year they complete confidential questionnaires about their mental health, identity, experiences, and well-being. The team analyses this data to identify the risk and protective factors associated with adolescent mental health and the early interventions that could help adolescents thrive. Lyndsay’s work spans school engagement, data collection, research, public presentations, and community outreach.

Hosted by Dr Kathy O’Grady.

Learning outcomes:
· Summarise current key findings about adolescents’ daily screen use.
· Identify the nuanced links between adolescent mental health and online experiences.
· Identify adolescent sub-groups more susceptible to the negative effects of being online.
· Highlight key individual and systemic changes needed to help adolescents safely navigate the digital world.