What do we know about the impact of digital media and peer dynamics on adolescent mental health, and how can this inform everyday practice?
Drawing on research from Professor Mitch Prinstein, this session will explore how social media use relates to young people’s psychological, social, and neural development. It will examine topics such as peer influence, mood, digital stress, and social opportunities, using insights from longitudinal research, experience sampling, and neuroimaging studies. Participants will gain a clearer understanding of key scientific questions and findings, and how these may inform actions to support young people and reduce potential risks.
Register for the event & pricing
Sign up at this link or on the Book Now buttons, and complete the form that follows. You’ll then receive an email confirmation and a link to the webinar, plus we’ll send you a calendar reminder nearer the time.
Delegates will have exclusive access to recordings for 90 days after the event, together with slides. Plus you will get a personalised CPD/CME certificate via email.
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- Non-members: this is a great time to join ACAMH, take a look at what we have to offer, and make the saving on these sessions.
| Ticket Type | Price |
|---|---|
| ACAMH paying Members (Online, Concession) | EARLY BIRD £39 (until 09/11/26 then £59) (Join now and save) |
| ACAMH Learn Account Holders | EARLY BIRD £59 (until 09/11/26 then £79) |
| Non Members | EARLY BIRD £59 (until 09/11/26 then £79) |
| ACAMH Undergraduate/ Postgraduate Members | £5 |
| LMIC Members | Free |
Who should attend
The primary audience for this session would be professionals working with adolescents across mental health, education, and community settings, including; clinical psychologists, child and adolescent psychiatrists, CAMHS clinicians, counsellors, psychotherapists, educational psychologists, teachers, SENCOs, pastoral staff, youth workers, and early help and family support practitioners. It may also be of interest to researchers and other professionals with an interest in adolescent development and mental health.
About the session
In this talk, we deconstruct the psychological science on youths’ technology and social media use so you can understand all of the questions scientists are asking, what we have found, what it means for youth today, and what you can do help. Using theories and methods from developmental cognitive neuroscience and developmental psychopathology, our work seeks to understand how adolescents’ social media use may confer benefits to psychological, social, and neural development. We use longitudinal methods, experience sampling, and fMRI scans to examine questions regarding topics such as social media addition, associations with mood, digital stress, the effects of social media on lost social opportunities, peer influence processes via social media, and the manner in which social media use may be associated with brain development in adolescence. The results are sometimes frightening, but there is some hope, especially if parents, educators, and policy-makers take action now.
Learning objectives:
- Participants will be able to articulate the potential effects of digital media use on neural development
- Participants will be able to list up to 10 different ways that technology use may influence psychological adaptation
- Participants will learn concrete strategies to enhance development with social media, and protect children from its risks
FAQs on the topic
1. How does social media affect the teenage brain?
Adolescence is one of the most intense periods of brain development in life, and it is also when most young people start using social media. Research suggests that frequent checking of social media may shape how the developing brain responds to social feedback, making some teenagers more sensitive over time to approval and rejection from their peers.
2. Is social media bad for teenagers’ mental health?
The picture is more mixed than headlines suggest. Heavy or habitual use is linked with difficulties such as low mood, digital stress, and disrupted attention, and social media can amplify peer pressure. But it can also offer connection, support, and a sense of belonging. Effects depend a great deal on how, how much, and why a young person is using it.
3. How does peer influence work through social media?
Adolescents are highly attuned to what their peers think, and social media makes peer feedback constant, visible, and quantified through likes and comments. This can intensify the pull to fit in, copy others, or seek approval. Peer influence online can encourage both positive behaviour and risky behaviour, depending on the norms a young person is exposed to.
4. Can social media use become an addiction for teenagers?
Social media delivers frequent, unpredictable rewards in the form of likes, comments, and notifications, which can encourage repeated checking. Some young people show patterns that resemble addiction, including a strong pull to keep checking and distress when they cannot. Whether this meets a clinical threshold is debated, but the compulsive quality is a genuine concern for many teenagers.
5. How can parents and professionals help teenagers use social media safely?
Adults can make a real difference by staying involved rather than simply restricting access. This includes talking openly about online experiences, modelling healthy habits, supporting balance with sleep, school work, and offline relationships, and helping young people think critically about what they see. Schools and policymakers also have a part to play in creating safer online environments.
Meet the Speakers
Professor Mitch Prinstein, Ph.D., ABPP is the John Van Seters Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Co-Director of the Winston Center for Technology and Brain Development at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Mitch also is the Senior Science Advisor of the American Psychological Association.
Mitch has advised/consulted with the numerous government agencies (e.g., White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Centers for Disease Control, Federal Trade Commission, US Surgeon General’s Office, US Supreme Court), international agencies (e.g., Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, World Economic Forum, World Health Organization), nonprofits (e.g., Common Sense Media, The National PTA), institutes (e.g., National Institute of Mental Health, National Academies of Science), as well as for-profit industries (e.g., Google, Apple, Johnson & Johnson), and the entertainment industry (e.g., David E. Kelley Productions, Impact Guild).