Online event exploring social media showcases collaboration with young people

On Thursday 19 September the Wolfson Centre for Young People’s Mental Health hosted a special webinar to mark Youth Mental Health Day, in partnership with young people.  

The awareness day, organised by stem4, takes place every September and this year's theme was #ControlYourScroll.  

The Wolfson Centre held a vibrant, well attended online event called Youth voices on social media. The webinar featured engaging discussions led by the Wolfson Centre’s dedicated researchers and members of the Centre’s Youth Advisory Group (YAG).  

The session began with a brief introduction to the Centre’s work, followed by a presentation from researchers Dr Rebecca Anthony and Dr Jessica Armitage. They shared the latest findings on how social media can impact mental health, exploring both the potential benefits and challenges young people face in the digital space. 

Dr Jessica Armitage, Research Associate at the Wolfson Centre, said: “It was great to be involved in the first Wolfson Webinar on such an important topic. One in five adolescents are on a social media platform almost constantly. There remains considerable uncertainty about how social media use relates to mental health and wellbeing.”

Dr Rebecca Anthony, Research Associate at the Wolfson Centre and DECIPHer (Centre for Development, Evaluation, Complexity and Implementation in Public Health Improvement), added: “Getting to work closely with the Centre’s amazing youth advisors again in this event was incredibly rewarding. The young people provided invaluable advice to Jessica and I when we presented previously to the group on research projects so it was lovely to work together again.” 

A key highlight of the event was the interactive group discussion featuring both researchers and YAG members who answered audience questions. The discussion was also co-facilitated by Nathan, one of Centre’s youth advisors, and Margarida Maximo, the Centre’s communications officer. 

Topics ranged from their own social media habits and how they control their scroll to what changes they would make if they ran social media platforms for a day. The conversation also touched on whether schools should be phone-free. 

Nathan said: “I loved being a part of this session! Everyone really had a lot to offer and it was so good to connect high quality research with lived experiences and perspectives in real-time.”

Emma Meilak, public involvement lead at the Wolfson Centre, concluded: “This event offered valuable insights for young people, parents, educators, and mental health professionals, shedding light on the evolving digital landscape and its influence on youth mental health.  

“It was a pleasure to welcome our Youth Advisors and work with them on the first Wolfson Webinar – hopefully the first of many collaborative events to come! Thanks again to all our inspiring young people for their contributions. ” 

The full recording of the webinar is now available on the Wolfson Centre’s YouTube channel. Watch the recording.