Panel Discusses Teen Mental Health and Social Media Risks

The Mind Matters forum brought together experts and advocates to address the impact of social media on youth mental health. Panelists included:

- **Syrus Silva**: A youth volunteer and digital artist affiliated with the Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation, Silva represents the perspective of young people who are affected by these issues.

- **Griffin Morrow**: A journalist from Morgantown, West Virginia, Morrow has covered underserved regions for the nonprofit outlet 100 Days in Appalachia and has written for publications like The Intercept and More Perfect Union.

- **Jennifer Emmel**: An attorney at Beasley Allen, Emmel has a Ph.D. in biomedical science and was involved in KGM v. Meta and YouTube, a significant lawsuit where a jury awarded $6 million to a plaintiff for damages related to social media addiction in children.

- **Dr. Ana Radovic**: An associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Radovic specializes in adolescent mental health and technology-based interventions aimed at helping young people with depression or anxiety.

- **Erin Barr**: The director of Youth Services at Jewish Family and Children’s Services, Barr oversees mental health programs advocating for early intervention and reducing care barriers.

- **Dr. Candice Biernesser**: An assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Biernesser focuses on adolescent suicide prevention and developing digital mental health interventions, particularly for underserved youth.

- **James Brown**: As the director of education at the Frick Environmental Center, Brown explores the relationship between ecological environments and youth mental health.

Despite most social media platforms requiring users to be at least 13 years old, surveys indicate that 40% of children aged eight to 12 still engage with these platforms. The lack of federal regulation surrounding these sites raises concerns about their influence on youth mental health.

For further resources, individuals can access a youth mental health resource packet, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Metro Community Health Center, and other organizations offering support.