Episode 33: Digital Wellbeing, Internet Addiction, & Mental Health for Teens with Larz from #HalfTheStory
with Larissa May (Larz) (IG @livinlikelarz)
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify
Episode Description:
Teens are primed to spend 30 years of their life online, and it’s already been negatively impacting everyone’s brain chemistry. In this ep we talk all things teen mental health and digital habits with Larz from Half the Story– Plus, of course, how to make positive changes moving forward.
Show Notes:
Meet mental health advocate and founder of Half the Story, Larissa (Larz) May.
Dark moments as opportunities to respond: social media addiction
What psychological challenges are youth, particularly teens, facing today?
Suicide rate amongst 10-24 year-olds have risen about 60% between 2007 and 2018 (coinciding with adoption rates of social media)
The average American teen spends 6-7.5 hours a day on digital platforms (30 years of your life)
Digital wellbeing as a key component of digital equity
The role of dopamine and “affirmations” when it comes from “Likes” on social media
How social media impacts our brain chemistry and can result in disorders like anxiety
Digital wellbeing as an intersection of emotional health and digital habits
How our devices and apps are designed to slip into our subconscious
“The toggling tax”, cortisol and stress
Does using our devices with mindfulness really help? How?
The importance of offline “play”
Active consumption vs passive consumption
Generational disparities and the blame-shame-game
Advice for parents who want to encourage their kids to form a healthier relationship with devices
How the fight for social media and internet regulation has been going
The Digital Divide: Equity for underserved global communities
This issue as the lead domino to being able to be activists for other pressing issues, since digital wellbeing means more mindful consumption, greater compassionate connection, and ability (attention) to heal oneself and others
Impact example: In Web2, we compare our bodies to the ones we see posted by influencers. In Web3 and the Metaverse, we change (the perception of) our body.
Larz’s final word of advice!
About Larz:
Larissa May (Larz)is a mental health advocate and founder of #HalfTheStory, a globally recognized digital wellness non-profit on a mission to empower the next generation’s relationship with technology through advocacy, education, research, and international events like the Global Day of Unplugging. This fall, #HalfTheStory is launching Social Media U, a program designed to be taught in partnership with schools across the country to teach digital wellness best practices to the next generation.
28-year-old Larz began her entrepreneurial journey as a student at Vanderbilt University, working as a fashion blogger, international correspondent and media expert. During her senior year amidst a dark battle with depression, Larz experienced a light bulb moment, realizing how social media was negatively impacting her life. With $250 from her college dorm room, she set out on a mission to help others create more meaningful connections through social storytelling, thus launching #HalfTheStory.
Within two years, #HalfTheStory grew into a globally recognized movement, pioneering a nationwide conversation about the importance of digital wellbeing for youth through educational resources and internationally recognized events like the Global Day of Unplugging. #HalfTheStory has become a leading youth 501(c)3, receiving more than 30,000 stories of youth relating to the cause from 99 countries around the world.
Reminders
Scroll down to sign up for the Newsletter!
Please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. It truly does help!
Grateful for YOU!