Teen Mental Health in an Online World

Worried about young people's use of the internet? Worried about its effect on their mental health? This book is informative, wise and realistic, exploring ways young people can be helped to be resilient and thoughtful as they embrace the opportunities and challenges of the internet. Parents and professionals will find this book extremely enlightening and practical. -- Nick Luxmoore, Psychotherapist, Trainer, Supervisor and Author As both a parent and a professional, I love that this book draws on the emerging evidence base as well as consultation with teens, parents and professionals to provide practical guidance on how to promote positive mental health in an online world. It's a tough topic and there's a real disconnect between the generations; this book bridges the gap beautifully. -- Pooky Knightsmith, Mental Health Author and Educator At last! A practical guide that cuts through the media scaremongering about digital technology and youth mental health, and offers evidence-based advice for parents and practitioners. I love the way that teen voices and stories are woven into this essential book. Betton and Woollard give sage advice: forget about banning, blaming and educating our young people; if you want to attain true (h)appiness you must: explore, inquire and ally. -- André Tomlin, The Mental Elf Understanding the benefits, risks, and new horizons for teen mental health in the digital age is of critical importance for parents, teachers, clinicians, and policy makers. Renowned subject experts, Victoria Betton and James Woollard, now offer the first authoritative and comprehensive synthesis of the topic in this delightfully accessible and engaging text. Highly recommend for those seeking actionable knowledge and key insights at the intersection of the digital world and teen mental health. -- John Torous MD MBI. Director of Digital Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School In all the gloomy, even punitive talk about teens and social media, this spirited volume is most welcome. Betton and Woollard don't shy away from the worrying evidence of youthful mental health problems. But they weigh that evidence fairly, interpret it carefully, and set it in the context of the opportunities afforded by digital media. As they rightly ask, now that children grow up immersed in the digital age, what matters is what we - the responsible adults - do to support their mental health and their rights. Their many constructive suggestions point the way for parents, teachers, policy makers and others: I hope these adults are listening! -- Sonia Livingstone, author of The Class: Living and Learning in the Digital Age, London School of Economics and Political Science