Changing minds: Tweens, teens and screens

About

Screen time and social media are reshaping how young people think, behave and experience the world.

Join award-winning producer, broadcaster and health commentator Dr Norman Swan as he leads this panel discussion on growing up in a fast-moving digital world that has never been more harmful – or offered more connection.

Bringing together leading researchers and speakers with lived experience, our panel will unpack the latest research and share insights on screen time, social media and youth mental wellbeing.

Panellists

Changing personalities – Dr Rachael Sharman

Psychologist, researcher and author and mother of four, Dr Rachael Sharman specialises in the healthy development of young minds. Her work explores how excessive screen time impacts the social and emotional development of tweens and teens, and how social media makes it harder for teenagers to develop their sense of identity. That’s why raising the minimum age for social media access to 16 is a good idea, says Professor Sharman, who’ll share practical advice for parents on setting boundaries, supporting wellbeing and helping children develop healthy digital habits.

Changing mental health – Professor Daniel Hermens

Cognitive psychophysiologist Professor Daniel Hermens leads the groundbreaking Longitudinal Adolescent Brain Study, which used MRI scans to track changes in the brains of young teens from age 12 until they reached 17. Research from the Thompson Institute's Youth Mental Health and Neurobiology Program is now helping…