Between 2011 and 2021, the number of teens and young adults with depression more than doubled. According to the CDC, nearly one in three high school girls reported having seriously considered suicide. A majority of parents of adolescents say they are somewhat, very, or extremely worried that their child’s use of social media could lead to problems with anxiety or depression, lower self-esteem, being harassed or bullied, feeling pressured to act a certain way, and exposure to explicit content. At a time when the brain is still developing, teens may be more susceptible to media’s influence and have a unique sensitivity to online rejection, acceptance, peer influence, and emotion-loaded interactions. Please join us for a panel to discuss the landscape of our increasingly digitized world and how we can create safeguards and positive online experiences to protect our youth online.