Overview

Adolescents are some of the most prevalent users of the internet and social media, with up to 45% of teenagers reporting being "almost constantly" online. Alongside the increasing availability and accessibility of online platforms in recent years, researchers, clinicians, educators, and parents have raised concerns over the potential impacts of social media engagement for youth mental health. In Australia, these concerns have recently resulted in legislation aimed at heavily restricting and banning the use of certain social media and internet sites for individuals aged under 16 (Parliament of Australia, 2024).

In this session, Dr Riley Scott will discuss a range of evidence, including her own research, on the links between youth internet and social media use, friendships, and mental health and well-being. The presentation will be designed to take a balanced approach to understanding the benefits and risks of social media engagement for young people and to discuss evidence that highlights the voices and experiences of youth where possible. The presentation will discuss ways to support adolescents in their social media use, review myths and assumptions about social media use, and will provide some discussion of the social media ban for under 16s in Australia. Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss evidence-based support strategies and ways to assess adolescents’ social media literacy.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this event, participants should be able to:

• Understand and explain how and why adolescents use social media.
• Identify social media-related risk and protective factors for youth mental health and well-being.
• Understand what social media literacy is, and how it can be assessed/developed.
• Review and develop resources for supporting adolescents in their online lives.

Presenter(s)

Dr. Riley Scott

About the presenter(s)

Dr. Riley Scott is a Lecturer in the School of Psychology and Wellbeing at the University of Southern Queensland. She conducts research in the areas of social, cyber, and developmental psychology, with a particular focus on the psychosocial and developmental implications of online engagement and interactions. Riley's primary research interests span adolescent and young adult development and the online/offline contexts in which development occurs, contemporary social relationships and well-being, social media literacy development in youth, and implications of online engagement for socially vulnerable youth. Together, her research is unified by a common theme of exploring the interplay between person and context in understanding risks and protective factors for youth well-being and development in the digital age.

Notes

Registration includes finger food and drinks

Target Audience

This event is aimed at Psychologists and Health Professionals.

CPD

It is up to attendees to assess and determine how learning from this event aligns with the requirements of their learning plan. The providers accordingly do not make any representation that the event counts towards attendees’ CPD learning requirements. If an attendee determines themselves that the learning they complete aligns to their learning plan, then they can decide to count those hours towards their CPD requirements for the registration cycle.

The information in this presentation has been prepared in good faith and for educational purposes only. Therefore, the information is general in nature and should not be relied upon in the treatment of any condition and you should seek your own independent professional and/or legal advice concerning any specific issue. The APS accepts no responsibility for any errors, omissions or decisions relating to the information. The content should not be reproduced without permission or unless permitted by law.

If you are experiencing registration difficulties please contact APS Events Support.