Event Recap: Navigating Youth Digital Wellness for Parents and Teachers
Article by Sarah Arnott
How does one effectively navigate a challenge that is constantly changing? This question is often asked by those who are committed to helping youth navigate the expanding landscape of digital media. On January 29th, 2026, Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) alumni/student-run research committee, The Children’s Media Lab (CML) addressed this question with an open workshop for parents, teachers, and advocates, dedicated to the concept of digital wellness.
The workshop was held at The Catalyst on the TMU campus. Josanne Buchanan, a University of Toronto PhD student and senior researcher at the CML, led the discussion with an in-depth presentation. Buchanan summarized the key neurological, social, and cognitive milestones that occur during adolescence, with a particular focus on youth ranging from Gen Alpha (born 2010-2025) to Gen Z (born 1997-2009). Buchanan compared the two generations, giving attendees insight into how present and impactful digital and social media are in the lives of youth, as key influencers of youth’s worldviews and self-concepts. Buchanan shared recent research that identified Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat as the most popular social media apps for youth. She then explained how the highly interactive features and designs of these platforms create cycles of over-stimulation, compulsive scrolling, and other problematic social media use experiences for youth, keeping them attached to their screens. Buchanan explored the negative effects of this attachment in various case studies, including but not limited to: social comparison and its impact on self-image, the dangers associated with heavy use of AI chatbots, and general screen addiction. Buchanan illustrated the concept of screen addiction in a three-stage cycle. In stage one, the youth experiences a stressor such as poor grades or familial conflict. This leads to stage two, which is a need to cope with challenges by doomscrolling. Stage three details the effects of doom scrolling, with youth developing a reliance that quickly turns into an addiction. Consequences include distortion of time, a chronic sense of anticipation fueled by dopamine, and compromised attention spans.
To continue the conversation, attendees were encouraged to share their thoughts in a discussion circle. Many different topics from the presentation were further explored, such as: strategies to help youth optimize screen time, AI safety, and social media’s effect on body image. The consensus was that effectively educating youth on digital literacy will need to come from a combined effort of social organizations, governmental initiatives/policies, and increased responsible technology efforts from technology corporations being more responsible. However, it was also noted that legislative changes take time, and social media continues to grow. It was concluded that, as individuals, the most effective way to help youth is through open communication. By increasing awareness of specific risks involved with the internet, parents and educators can encourage youth to question the media they consume and learn self-regulation. Despite the ongoing need for more internet regulations, with the right support and resources, youth will have the skillsets needed to effectively navigate the digital landscape and grow into capable adults who can effectively take digital wellness into their own hands.
Watch the event recap video below!
Filmed and edited by Paul Ku