Navigating a Digital World: Upcoming program focuses on AI and social media’s impact on youth: ‘Protecting Youth in a Digital World: The Hidden Risks of AI and Social Media.’

By Melissa Cole

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, Sept. 15. The West Hartford Community of Concern is hosting a talk and discussion, “Protecting Youth in a Digital World: The Hidden Risks of AI and Social Media.”

The event will feature two presenters: Marla Dakin, LCSW, founder and clinical director of Farmington Valley Counseling Center, and Mary McPheat, founder and CEO of Grounded Logic and executive director of Grounded Minds.

McPheat founded the nonprofit Grounded Minds after doing a deep dive into AI, and hearing unsettling headlines and stories about its impact on younger generations. As a mother herself, she realized there was a growing need to provide parents with information and guidance to better understand this rapidly changing technology and navigate it with their families.

“I came across the story about a teen in Florida who actually engaged in a relationship with a character AI, a generative AI bot, and ended up taking his own life. And I have two young children, and I just saw this growing need to educate everybody on what is happening,” McPheat said.

She reached out to Dakin to team up and bring important information to parents about navigating the fast-moving and ever-changing world of technology. Dakin said she was immediately on board.

“I work with a lot of children, teens, and young adults, and in my counseling practice, I see the impact of social media and screen time and all of those things on child development and mental health,” Dakin said. “So when Mary reached out, I was like, ‘Yes!’ Part of our mission is to really bring this information to parents who may not appreciate what is happening in the world of AI. It moves so fast.”

Between McPheat’s knowledge of technology and AI and Dakin’s expertise in child mental health, the duo presents at schools and conferences across the state. They’re excited to speak with West Hartford parents at the upcoming Sept. 15 evening event. One of the topics they’ll discuss is how to discern real videos from those created by AI.

“So natural disasters happen, and people will create fake content. Like the fires out in California, there’s this prominent one where the Hollywood sign is burning. They put that content out there, people share it, and the whole point is monetarily driven. So they’re getting the likes and the shares because everyone immediately accepts it and thinks it’s real,” McPheat said.

They say the goal is to give parents the tools they need to open up conversations with their children.

“So a lot of what we’re doing is normalizing adolescent development, but then also having a big piece around empowering parents so that they can look at it from their parental lens and coach their children through this new, ever-changing landscape. It is very hard to keep up with all of this. So, we want to empower parents with as much information as we can because it’s so overwhelming,” Dakin said.

They also touch upon the book The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt and how children today are growing up in a very different world than previous generations.

Courtesy image

“We went from this, what he calls a play-based childhood, to a phone-based childhood or a screen-based childhood. Often, our parents in the audience remember going out and playing and coming home when it was dark, you know? So we do talk about ways to limit screen time, ways to talk about it so that your child will engage and open up to you about some of the things that they’re seeing,” Dakin said.

They’ll also share the LIFT framework they developed: L for landscape, or educating yourself about what’s happening in the digital world; I to instill resilience; F to foster real-world connections, which can often be missed when kids spend a lot of time on their devices; and T to take the lead by looking at your own behavior.

“How many times have we all been guilty of picking up our phone? And again, not from this blame or judgy perspective. We are really coming at it from a place of hope and inspiration and empowerment,” Dakin said.

The event is being hosted by the West Hartford Community of Concern, which is made up of PTO members from the high school and middle schools who are dedicated to raising awareness and educating the school community about adolescent mental health and wellness, with a continued focus on equity and inclusion. The Community of Concern is also celebrating its 20th year this year.

Newer member and West Hartford parent Julia Carabillo says the organization is a valuable resource for families.

“As a parent to a middle-schooler, the Community of Concern programming tackles a variety of issues and is an incredible resource as we help them navigate this time of life,” Carabillo said.

Another Community of Concern member and parent Sara Barczak says this talk comes at the perfect time.

 “For many families summer was a time of increased social media use and now that school is starting up this continues to be a hot topic as we try to safely guide our teens online and help manage the overall amount of time in front of screens,” Barczak said.

The event, “Protecting Youth in a Digital World: The Hidden Risks of AI and Social Media,” will be held Tuesday, Sept. 15, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at West Hartford Town Hall, Room 400. Register at https://bit.ly/3OKu5pU and receive a recording of the panel. 

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