‘Breaking the Algorithm’: key takeaways from the young leaders behind a national convening on digital well-being

In an period the place social media shapes the each day lives of young folks, understanding its influence on psychological well being is important. In gentle of this, Mental Health America just lately hosted “Breaking the Algorithm,” a youth-led summit in search of to foster collaboration and creativity amongst key stakeholders from numerous sectors associated to social media and/or youth psychological well being. Each session, workshop, and dialogue was a step towards higher understanding the concern at hand and higher supporting the digital wellbeing of young folks.

Here are some impactful moments from every session.

In the first intro session, “Bridging Knowledge Gaps in Youth Mental Health and Social Media,” moderator Mohammad Shedeed led an inspiring dialogue with panelists Corbin Evans, JD, MPP, MBA; S. Bryn Austin, ScD, MS; Rachel Hanebutt, EdM, MA, MS; and Eduardo Lara. The session confronted common misconceptions and myths about social media platforms and the reciprocal relationship they’ve with psychological well being. Panelists additionally mentioned potential designs for higher platforms.

Key takeaways:

• Youth are usually not a monolithic group and shouldn’t be handled as such when making selections on this realm.
• Social media shouldn’t be all good or dangerous – it may be each!
• Not sufficient individuals are investigating the relationship between social media and psychological well being, partly resulting from inadequate funding and withheld knowledge from know-how firms.

During the second session, titled “Echoes of Inequity: Understanding the Disparate Experiences of Youth Online,” moderator Tinuola Adebukola, MPH, CPH led a dynamic dialogue with panelists Alfiee Breland-Noble, PhD, MHSc; Joel Bervell; Alejandra Gomez; and Jacquelyn Ogorchukwu Iyamah, MS. Participants targeted on the distinctive challenges confronted by marginalized communities inside the digital panorama, exploring matters resembling racial trauma, misinformation, and the want for equitable design options on social media platforms.

Key takeaways:

• Challenges that marginalized youth face offline are additionally perpetuated on-line, highlighting the significance of making inclusive digital areas.
• Racial trauma and misinformation perpetuated on social media platforms exacerbate psychological well being challenges amongst youth of shade, underscoring the want for trauma-informed options.
• Equitable design options and co-creation with these with lived expertise are important for mitigating the influence of racial trauma and fostering a safer on-line setting.

In the summit’s third session, titled “Integrating Multidisciplinary Perspectives to Redefine the Digital Landscape,” moderator Mahmoud Khedr led a thought-provoking dialogue with Zainab Okolo, EdD, LCMFT; Zamaan Qureshi; Rob Rasko; and Kristine Gloria, PhD. The dialogue sought to uncover what it takes to affect the digital ecosystem positively by way of a multidisciplinary lens and cross-sector collaboration.

Key takeaways:

• Young folks have lived experiences that make them consultants on the know-how that they use, subsequently efforts needs to be made to convey young folks into significant discussions.
• The uptick in reputation of psychological well being has led to elevated misinformation and pathologization on-line, probably inflicting pointless hurt.
• Stakeholders needs to be conscious of the incontrovertible fact that social media use will be influenced by how youth had been raised, together with their training and socioeconomic standing.

The fourth, and closing session of the “Breaking the Algorithm” summit featured 4 design sprints to encourage artistic problem-solving and collaboration amongst attendees. Said sprints had been led by youth leaders, and every targeted on a key facet of the social media panorama: fairness (led by Isabel Ohakamma), product options (led by Keegan Lee), enterprise fashions (led by Mahmoud Khedr), and cross-sector collaboration (led by Sam Gerry). The construction of every dash was established by Omri Gal and Sami Kosaraju, finally encouraging members of every group to contemplate the place we at the moment are, the place we need to go, and the way we’re going to get there. This session served as a precious manner for summit attendees to ideate with friends and foster the growth of latest initiatives aiming to construct a more healthy digital ecosystem.

In sum, “Breaking the Algorithm” was a precious reminder that young folks can, and may, be main the manner as we start to rework the digital panorama. With that stated, this summit merely marks the starting of our dedication to creating significant change on this panorama. Keep an eye fixed out for info on our analysis associated to the summit later this 12 months!

Want to assist us create more healthy on-line areas? Share your ideas by way of our survey.