Dr. Vanessa Yélamos, lecturer at the Universidad Europea del Atlántico (European University of the Atlantic) (UNEATLANTICO), will give a conference entitled “The risks of social networks on the mental health of adolescents: cyberbullying, depersonalization, immediacy, and extimacy, organized by the Iberoamerican University Foundation (FUNIBER) and the International Youth Organization for Ibero-America (OIJ), together with UNEATLANTICO, the Universidad Internacional Iberoamericana de México (International Iberoamerican University of Mexico) (UNINI Mexico), the Universidad Internacional Iberoamericana (International Iberoamerican University) (UNIB), the Universidad de La Romana (University of La Romana) (UNIROMANA), and the Fundación Universitaria Internacional de Colombia (International University Foundation of Colombia) (UNINCOL).
The conference will be held online on Thursday, October 19. The event aims to address in depth the complex web that surrounds the impact of social networks on the mental health of the child and adolescent population.
In a context where digital connectivity has become an integral part of young people’s lives, the conference aims to comprehensively examine the influence of social networks on various aspects of adolescent mental health. Crucial issues such as cyberbullying, depersonalization, immediacy, and extimacy will be analyzed in depth.
One of the most worrying aspects to be addressed at this conference is cyberbullying, a phenomenon that has increased in frequency and severity with the rise of digital platforms. In addition, other risks associated with the use of social networks, such as sexting and identity theft, will be discussed. This is particularly relevant due to the increasing accessibility of social networks at young ages and the lack of effective limits or controls on their use.
The Royal Society for Public Health, in its 2019 studies, had already established that social networks exert a significant influence on the mental health of the adolescent population, triggering depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, body image disorders, and cases of cyberbullying worldwide.
The conference will not be limited to exposing the problems, but it will also provide a series of recommendations to promote a responsible and ethical use of social networks by the child and youth population. This is a joint effort of active participation between institutions such as FUNIBER and the OIJ, demonstrating the global commitment to the protection and welfare of youth in the digital age.
This lecture is part of the new program of Specialization in Intervention in risky cyber behavior in children and adolescents, it addresses, from an action-oriented perspective, the problems that are most affecting children and adolescents around the world, putting at risk the mental, psycho-emotional, and physical health of the victims. It is about bullying and cyberbullying. This program is promoted by FUNIBER through the university network with which it collaborates.
To watch the conference, tune in to the OIJ YouTube channel on Thursday, October 19 at 6:00 p.m. Spanish time (UTC+2).