South Heartland District Health Department

Sign Up for our Workshop about Social Media and Youth Mental Health

February 26, 2025

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As our lives move increasingly online, our relationship with screens grows more complex each year. The majority of young people report that technology helps them feel more connected to friends and provides critical support during challenging times. Yet young people today also report being more stressed and anxious than ever. So, what is the relationship between screen time and mental health? Is technology connecting youth or isolating them? How much is too much?

“When it comes to screen time and well-being, the path we need to take is messy, complicated, and specific to our families. But the most clear message from a complicated field of research is that our kids benefit most when we are on the path together.”

– Erin Walsh

To help understand all of this, the South Heartland District Health Department is pleased to offer FREE workshops options to support efforts to strengthen adolescent digital well-being. Erin Walsh M.A. from Spark & Stitch Institute, will explain brain science and research related to child and adolescent development. Erin uses easy-to-understand language and will cut through conflicting Information about kids and technology.

Erin Walsh’s workshops are designed for anyone who strives to enrich the lives of youth of all ages.

The workshops options are listed below:

iBrain: Learning in the Age of Distractions

Educator Workshop, Ideal for all Types of Educators

4:00 - 5:30pm, Thursday, April 10th, Hastings City Auditorium, 400 N Hastings Ave, Hastings, NE

It’s Complicated: Kids, Teens, Screens, and Mental Health

Community Keynote, For Parents and Youth Serving Professionals

6:30 - 8:00pm, Thursday, April 10th, Hastings City Auditorium, 400 N Hastings Ave, Hastings, NE

Status Update: Adolescents, Technology, and Mental Health

Professional Development Workshop for Mental Health Professionals and Youth Workers

10:00 - 12:00pm, Friday, April 11th, YWCA Adams County, 2525 West 2nd Street, Hastings, NE

REGISTRATION DEADLINE - MARCH 27, 2025

Click here to register. For more information, contact Chris Junker at South Heartland District Health Department at 402-462-6211, chris.junker@shdhd.ne.gov.

Sponsored By

CASA of South Central Nebraska | Head Start  |  ESU9  | The Bridge  |  YWCA Adams County

Supported in part by Hastings Give Day donations to South Heartland District Health Department and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

Back in May of 2023, the United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a new advisory report about the effects social media use has on youth mental health.