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Mental health solutions for the digital age
Ask the digital natives of Gen Z about the source of their biggest mental health challenges, and most will say social media and AI.Several of the nearly 400 guests at the third annual Gen Z Wellness Summit, presented by the Friends of Semel Teen Advisory Council at UCLA on March 8, explicitly named the endless stream of content on their phones as serious stressors. “Everybody is addicted to (Tik Tok) as if they were addicted to substances,” said Jantin Asmar, 17, a senior at Virtual Academy in Antelope Valley. “We’re always chasing that dopamine. We’re expecting that dopamine rush and it’s really decaying our interactions with others.” High school student Jantin Asmar was among nearly 400 people who attended the third annual Gen Z Wellness Summit. (Photo by Sandy Cohen) Even young teens feel pressure to be on social media constantly, both to consume content and collect “likes,” said 13-year-olds Chloe and Sophia, both students at Brentwood School. “Everyone’s always on, and you miss stuff if you’re not on it,” Chloe said, adding that social media’s emphasis on appearances is leading to eating disorders: “That’s a big thing for our generation.”The incessant influx of images and updates creates expectations that “weigh teenagers down,” said Linda Kou, 16, a junior at San Gabriel High School.Even though digital spaces allow people to connect with others beyond their immediate surroundings, it doesn’t always translate to real-life community, said Kelah Morgan, 17, a senior at Animo South Los Angeles Charter High School. High school students Kelah Morgan, left, and Linda Kou, shared about the challenges presented by social media. (Photo by Sandy Cohen) “Even if you see people saying that they relate to you online, it might be hard to find people in your personal life who you see every day who you feel comfortable enough to say, ‘You see me online, but this is me in real life and what I’m actually going through,’” she said.Solutions for our digital timesThe Gen Z Wellness Summit was intentionally designed as a free, in-person gathering where young people interested in mental health from across the southland could meet in person. “Peer support is the most important element of maintaining our mental health in community,” said Helena Hansen, MD, PhD, director of UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.Keynote speakers at the summit addressed AI, social connection and self-empowerment, while breakout sessions included discussions about eating disorders, dating, substance use, phone detox and breathwork. Here are some of the day’s top takeaways:Beware of FOPO: Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD, a psychology professor at Columbia University, said that rather than FOMO, or fear of missing out, we ought to be more aware of FOPO: fear of people’s opinions. “Just think about how much your FOPO might be holding you back in your life,” Dr. Kaufman said. “And just that inner contemplation should be enough for you to change your life, because there’s so many things we don’t go after because we have debilitating FOPO.”We don’t need to feel like we’re the best – or what he called “narcissistic self-esteem” – but it’s helpful to acknowledge our own worth, recognize our good qualities and develop self-belief in the skills and talents we’ve cultivated. When we have that – dignity and self-respect, without needing everyone to like us – FOPO is less of a concern.Self-reflection is most effective in community: “When we try to self-reflect alone, we sometimes ruminate,” said Ira Bedzow, PhD, executive director of the Emory University Purpose Project. “But when we self-reflect with people that we trust … (it) allows us to hold ourselves accountable to different ways of seeing and different ways of hearing and different ways of being.”Opening up about our experiences and listening to others are skills we can develop, Dr. Bedzow said.He invited students to participate in what he called a “fishbowl exercise,” where four students sat in a small circle, surrounded by a dozen or so students forming a larger circle. Those in the inner circle answered such questions as: “What stops you from being you today?” and “What helps you feel most like you?”Within minutes, the group in the small circle (the fishbowl), were sharing intimately about their life challenges as those in the outer circle nodded in understanding.After the exercise, one participant said, “I felt like I wasn’t alone, that it wasn’t just me who feels that way.”Another remarked on how “personal” it felt to share face-to-face with others, even strangers.Don’t let AI crush your creativity: Theoretical neuroscientist Vivienne Ming, PhD, has been studying artificial intelligence for more than 20 years. And while she said “it’s reasonable to be concerned” about the fast-growing technology, it can also help humans become better problem-solvers when used strategically.“The smartest thing on the planet today are humans and machines working together creatively,” Dr. Ming said. “What gets more valuable in humans as machines get smarter? Our ability to explore the unknown.“Your unique voice is literally your value to the world … but most of us for most of our lives have been taught to not be unique,” she continued. “Be your own person. Celebrate being different. It is genuinely, measurably, truly valuable.”In a breakout session called “Phone Detox? IYKYK: Living Your Story IRL” led by Don Grant, PhD, students shared their frustrations with AI compromising academic work, art and creativity.“Art is a translation of human experience,” one participant said. “When people use AI, they diminish their own human experience.”Dr. Grant urged them, as “the last generation to remember a world before AI,” to remember the power of imagination and creativity – and to act on it.Remember that social media distorts perceptions: Stuart B. Murray, PhD, PsyD, who directs the Eating Disorders Program and Translational Research in Eating Disorders Program at UCLA, asked the students in his breakout session to take a spontaneous selfie and edit it to conform with society’s beauty standards. All 20 girls in the room immediately got to work, thickening their hair, slimming their faces, plumping their lips.“The pressure to look like what we present on social media can be crippling,” Dr. Murray said. “We now know that social media use is part of a causal pathway into an eating disorder.”Adolescents and young adults are most at risk of developing an eating disorder, he said, with one in three students on college campuses exhibiting clinically meaningful eating-disorder symptoms. More than 4 million people in California will have an eating disorder in their lifetime.Even for those who don’t develop anorexia or bulimia, the ubiquity of modified images online distorts what we consider normal, making us feel worse about ourselves. Remembering that, he and other speakers said, might inspire us to log off occasionally and spend time in the real world with people who love us as we are.
F.D.A. Opens Door to More Flavored E-Cigarettes
The agency is proposing allowing other tastes for vapes, like mint, coffees, spices or tea, to appeal to adults. At the same time, illicit candy-flavored types aimed at teenagers have flooded the market.
Teen arrested in connection with deadly North Charleston sports bar shooting
The North Charleston Police Department arrested a teenager in connection with a shooting that left one man dead at a Rivers Avenue sports bar Wednesday night.
‘Teen takeover’ that sparked gun violence impacts Jacksonville Beach businesses
A weekend “teen takeover” event in Jacksonville Beach erupted in violence as gunfire injured five teenagers, prompting a swift police response and forcing local businesses to lock down, disrupting a nearby music festival and leaving the community shaken.
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Several California teenagers have found themselves at the center of an intense national debate around transgender kids participating in school sports. They aren't backing down.
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Feb. 21, 2026: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.
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Teenage Olympians juggle world-class sports and high school classwork
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Spain’s Sánchez Says Musk Is Damaging Mental Health of Teens
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez accused Elon Musk of breaking local law and harming the mental health of teenagers in the latest escalation of a public spat between the two.
Hansi Flick sends message to Tommy Marques after Barcelona debut
The coach wants to keep a close eye on the teenager.
Perrysburg teenager makes a business out of home organization
Sixteen-year-old Ellie Grieger is neat by nature. That’s both a spot-on description of her character and the name of her business, an enterprise that ...
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Cooper Flagg breaks NBA teen record with 49-point game
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Cooper Flagg posts 49 points, unprecedented for a teenager, in reunion with Kon Knueppel
The Mavericks rookie keeps looking more and more special, but it was the Hornets who took the win.
'Luke Littler effect' boosts local darts teams
The teenager's meteoric rise is inspiring more young players to join a village's league.
It sounds like something out of a science fiction series, but it's real: at just 15 years old, Laurent Simons has already completed a PhD and is now researching how to defeat aging with artificial intelligence
At 15, most teenagers are worrying about exams or learning to drive. Belgian researcher Laurent Simons has already defended a PhD in quantum physics at the
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Charlie Simpson, 15, is part of new generation of self-styled rightwing ‘independent journalists’ and ‘has sources in the [Reform] party’
Police address concerns after teenagers were seen walking along road near Spooky Nook
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Child, teenager die of flu-related illness in Lucas County, Health Department says
The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department has confirmed two flu-related deaths in Lucas County, according to a press release.
Social media time does not increase teenagers’ mental health problems
UK study comes as ministers consider Australia’s ban on social media use for under-16s
How Stranger Things could inspire a new generation of physicists
Scientists hope the Netflix hit will encourage more teenagers to study physics because it explores wormholes, string theory and parallel worlds
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After the death of a local teenager, families across the community want to prepare for how they could help their own loved ones in a mental health crisis.
At 13, Entrepreneur Jack Daly Caddied To Learn Business Secrets
Jack Daly first learned about business on the golf course when he was a teenager—by making the most of his opportunities as a caddy.
Birmingham teen turns Christmas tree removal into green business
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Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Helena and Calistoga’s teen mental health retreat may become a national model
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We give our teenagers more experiences than gifts for Christmas. It brings us closer as a family.
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A teenage entrepreneur who does 6-figures in sales explains how anyone can start an e-commerce business with a 3D printer and a couple of hundred dollars
Learn how a teenager built a six-figure business with 3D printing and low-cost resources in high school.
I went through early menopause at 29. It upended my work and life for nearly two decades — here's what finally helped.
After dealing with endometriosis since she was a teenager, Claudia Zimmerman had a hysterectomy at age 29. This was the start of a 17-year struggle.
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School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt wins Dana Foundation grant for curriculum on smartphones and cognition in teens
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Having a dog can boost teenagers’ mental health, say scientists
Researchers find children who own dogs score lower for social problems, aggressive behaviour and delinquency
Shabana Mahmood and my surprise at teenagers’ views on immigration
Letters: Rev Dr Michael Fox responds to an article by Nesrine Malik on the home secretary using her ‘story’ to silence criticism of her policies