Crossroads of Ideas

media release: “Facebook Depression:” Untangling the Evidence Around Social Media and Mental Health for Teens

The news media has frequently promoted concerns about social media and mental health for teens, including “Facebook depression” and concerns about addiction. But does this moral panic align with the current evidence?

This talk — the second in a four-part miniseries featuring outstanding UW researchers who have received WARF faculty awards — will explore evidence examining the relationship between adolescent social media use and mental health, and consider ways that parents can engage with their kids to promote safe and supportive social media use.

Megan A. Moreno, MD, MSEd, MPH is a professor of pediatrics and adjunct professor of educational psychology at UW-Madison.

She is principal investigator of the Social Media and Adolescent Health Research Team (SMAHRT); her research focuses on the intersection of technology and adolescent health. SMAHRT has contributed the largest body of evidence in the area of adolescent health and social media to date.

Dr. Moreno is passionate about adolescent health and leveraging research findings for real-life impact for teens and their families. Dr. Moreno has authored over 150 research articles, she was a lead author on the American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement “Media Use Among School-aged Children and Adolescents,” and she has written and edited several books related to technology and adolescent health.

This event will be held at the Discovery Building and will also be available on Zoom.

The Cap Times is the media partner for Crossroads.