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Live Webinar On-Demand

Social Media and the Effects of Trying to Connect

Peter Fowler, MA, LPCC
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Information

Recorded

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

  • List at least 3 social media platforms that adolescents are using and describe how adolescents are using them​.

  • Identify 3-5 negative effects of adolescent's social media use on their mental health. ​

  • Identify 3-5 ways that social media use has had a positive impact on adolescent users of social media ​.

  • Recognize 3-5 ways to promote healthy use of social media with adolescents​.

Educational Goal

The educational goal of this workshop is to increase understanding of the effects of social media use on teens and provide clinicians with practical tools to support teens and families with boundaries around this issue.

Description

This workshop will explore the effects of social media use on teens and the need for supervision/boundaries with social media. Teens have continued to increase their use of social media platforms to connect with others, express themselves, and learn new skills/information. In the last few years, research and public sentiment has raised concerns about the effects of social media use on its users (increases in depression and anxiety, and access to inappropriate content). However, research has also shown the positive effects of social media use on users (connection with other like-minded individuals, emotional support and awareness of social issues). As clinicians, parents, educators and healthcare workers, our goal is to be aware of the negative effects of social media on teens, the positive ways it supports teens, and how to promote a healthy use of social media.

Target Audience

  • Addiction Professional
  • Counselor
  • Marriage & Family Therapist
  • Psychologist
  • Social Worker

Presenters

Peter Fowler, MA, LPCC
Peter has been working with adolescents for the last 20 years in various capacities. For the past 14 years, Peter has been working in the mental health field with over 12 years of that experience being with Discovery Behavioral Health. While at Discovery, he has served at various levels from Technician, to Therapist, to Program Director, as the Division Director of Education and more recently as the Associate Vice President of Clinical Services. In his current role as Associate Vice President of Clinical Services, Peter supports the Division with compliance initiatives, training staff and leadership, facility oversight and ensuring patients have appropriate academic programming while attending Discovery programs. Peter utilizes his previous experience as a teacher to ensure training is engaging and staff have accessible resources to ensure content retention. He uses his previous roles to better understand facility needs and potential barriers to support programs with developing solutions to improve their clinical care. Peter holds a Bachelor of Arts in History with Secondary Social Studies Teaching Certification from Messiah College and a Master of Arts in Counseling from Denver Seminary. Peter was a high school Social Studies teacher in New York City before entering the mental health field. Through his past experiences with adolescents and their families he has developed a passion for supporting individual and family growth.

Financially Sponsored By

  • Discovery Mood and Anxiety Program
  • Discovery Behavioral Health