Brains, Bots, and Boundaries: Youth Mental Health in a Digital World is a four-part free webinar series examining how rapidly evolving digital technologies are shaping the mental health, identity development, and help-seeking behaviors of adolescents and young adults (AYA). From social connection and vulnerability to artificial intelligence and social media–driven self-diagnosis, this series brings together clinicians and experts to explore both the risks and opportunities technology presents for youth mental health. The series is supported by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services through the School-Based Mental Health Training Grant.

Across four interactive sessions, presenters will examine the psychological impact of digital environments, including social media platforms and AI tools, on AYA mental health. The series will highlight current research, clinical observations, and real-world examples to help participants better understand how technology influences emotional well-being, symptom presentation, self-concept, and clinical care. Emphasis will be placed on practical strategies that caregivers, educators, and clinicians can use to support healthy digital engagement, promote critical thinking, and set developmentally appropriate boundaries across home, school, and clinical settings.

Target Audience:

This accredited continuing education activity is designed for behavioral health professions to include nurses, social workers, clinical mental health therapists, school counselors, and psychologists.

Global Objectives:

• Describe how digital technologies—including social media platforms and artificial intelligence tools—impact adolescent and young adult mental health, identity development, and help-seeking behaviors.
• Evaluate the potential risks and benefits of technology use for AYA populations, including issues related to social connection, misinformation, self-diagnosis, and vulnerability.
• Identify evidence‑informed and developmentally appropriate strategies that promote healthy technology use in home, school, and clinical settings.
• Apply selected strategies to address digital‑related mental health challenges across home, school, and clinical environments.
• Integrate insights from research and clinical practice to foster balanced boundaries, promote resilience, and enhance youth mental health in an increasingly digital world.

Webinar schedule

March 20 -- Youth Mental Health at the Crossroads: Technology, Connection, and Vulnerability. Presented by Thang Tran, PhD and Becca Moore, LIMHP, LADC

Program number: 26CE00108

Educational Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, the participants should be better able to:

• Describe recent developments in generative artificial intelligence (AI), including large language models (LLMs), and their relevance to youth mental health and technology use.
• Identify key developmental characteristics of adolescence that influence how young people experience technology and respond to digital environments.
• Discuss common technology-related risks and protective factors influencing youth mental health at the intersection of digital connection and vulnerability.
• Apply insights from current research on youth, technology, and digital mental health to enhance assessment, communication, and intervention strategies in your work with adolescents and families.

Register here.

March 27 -- Teens and ChatGPT: Low-Key Helpful or Major Red Flag? Presented by Mina Nguyen-Driver, PsyD, and Darren Janzen, PsyD

Program number: 26CE00105

Educational Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, the participants should be better able to:

• Identify the ways adolescents are using AI platforms for advice, companionship, and health-related concerns.
• Evaluate the potential benefits and risks of AI use among youth, including issues of misinformation, reduced human connection, privacy, and crisis response.
• Apply practical strategies to clinical, educational, and family settings to safely screen for AI use.

Register here.

April 3 -- TikTok and Self-Diagnosis: The Influence of Social Media on Adolescent and Young Adult Mental Health. Presented by Mina Nguyen-Driver, PsyD; Amy Seay, PhD; Mara Whiteside, PhD

Program number: 26CE00106

Educational objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, the participants should be better able to:

• Analyze the dual-edged impact of TikTok on adolescent mental health.
• Identify TikTok’s potential to increase awareness and reduce stigma while also contributing to misinformation, self-diagnosis, and overidentification.
• Apply evidence-based strategies to address the challenges posed by social media-driven mental health narratives, including guiding clients toward reliable resources, fostering critical engagement, and improving mental health literacy in clinical and educational settings.  

Register here.

April 10 -- Teens and Screens: The Unabating Scourge of Social Media. Presented by Mitch Prinstein, PhD, ABPP

Program number: 26CE00107

Educational objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, the participants should be better able to:

• Articulate the potential effects of digital media use on neural development.
• List up to 10 different ways that technology use may influence psychological adaptation.
• Discuss concrete strategies to enhance development with social media, and protect children from its risks.

Register here.

Accreditation Continuing Education

In support of improving patient care, University of Nebraska Medical Center is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

The University of Nebraska Medical Center designates this activity for up to 4.0 ANCC contact hours. Nurses should only claim credit for the actual time spent participating in the activity.

Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs. This activity has been approved for up to 4.0 credit hours of continuing education credit.

As a Jointly Accredited Organization, University of Nebraska Medical Center is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive up to 4.0 general continuing education credits. The content level of this activity is basic.

This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive up to 4.0 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change.