Smartphones, Doomscrolling, and Resilience in a Changing Digital Landscape with Dr. Natasha Wade

Thursday, March 5, 7:00 - 8:00 pm CT
Virtual via Zoom

We live in a complex digital world and seem primed to be drawn into endless scrolling and constant phone checking. This presentation will describe why our brains may pull us into our phones, and how this may shape our health, mental health, and our interactions with the world around us. We will especially focus on how some individuals may be more vulnerable to the negative aspects of digital media, such as adolescent and young adults who are still experiencing brain development. Finally, we will discuss resilience factors which may prevent negative outcomes from digital media use and cover promising potential uses of digital media.

Dr. Natasha Wade is a licensed Clinical Neuropsychologist and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego. Her research focuses on factors influencing neurodevelopmental patterns in adolescents and young adults, with a particular focus on addictive behaviors (e.g., cannabis use, screen use). She aims to use improved methods, such as passive sensing of smartphone use, which can improve assessment of screen time and mental health relationships.

$5 per person; please register online at shalomretreats.org or by calling 563.582.3592 by Wednesday, March 4.