A Community Conversation on Teen Mental Health

A Community Conversation on Teen Mental Health
at the JCC in Squirrel Hill, Sunday, April 28
In an August 2017 report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that serious depression is worsening in teens, especially girls, and the suicide rate among girls reached a 40-year high in 2015. In December 2017, Harold Koplewicz, founding President of The Child Mind Institute reported, “Child and adolescent mental health disorders are the most common illnesses that children will experience under the age of 18.”
There is a growing body of research that indicates a strong correlation between abrupt shifts in teen behaviors and emotional states, and the growing prevalence of internet-based, handheld devices and social media.
Is social media posing a risk to your teen’s mental health?
Social media has dramatically changed the way we communicate and socialize, and today’s children and teens may be missing out on the development of important social skills when they spend the majority of their time on screen.
Understanding how this new world of social media impacts our children is an evolving topic. Please join us on Sunday, April 28, from 4 to 6 pm at the JCC in Squirrel Hill, 5738 Forbes Avenue, for “A Community Conversation on Teen Mental Health” with Dr. Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University and author of, “IGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood.”
Twenge, who frequently gives talks and seminars on teaching and working with today’s young generation based on a dataset of 11 million young people, has been featured on the Today Show, Good Morning America, NPR and many other media outlets speaking on this topic.
She will speak about the mental health effects on teens being addicted to their smart phones and social media, a topic that is so relevant and will reflect, for example, on the necessity and benefits of the JCC’s Emma Kaufmann Camp’s screen-free policy.
Following Jean’s talk, we will have a panel discussion with a variety of local experts to more fully explore the teen mental health crisis within our community and what parents can do to most effectively help their children navigate an increasingly complex and challenging time.
For more information, please contact Rachael Speck 412-697-3539
To RSVP: https://jccpgh.formstack.com/forms/community_conversation