Speaker Bio
Gary Johnson, PhD, LP, LMFT
Clinical Director, Clinic for Attention,Learning, and Memory
Dr. Gary Johnson has been a dedicated advocate for comprehensive and compassionate evaluation of children’s mental health for more than 40 years. Over the course of his career, he has completed more than 10,000 evaluations. He has been recognized by MPA and MACMH for his contributions and remains an active member of the CALM Clinic.
Breakout 4C
Students in the Algorithmic Age: Social Media’s Role in Identity Development, Cyberbullying, and Self-Harm Risk
Dr. Kotatee Tamba, Dr. Gary Johnson & Dr. Kelsey Maleski
Adolescent identity development increasingly occurs within algorithmically curated digital environments that intensify social comparison, peer surveillance, and reputational threat. Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat reward visibility, emotional intensity, and group conformity, often amplifying peer conflict and normalizing maladaptive coping behaviors, including self-harm content exposure. School-based professionals are frequently tasked with responding to the downstream impacts of these environments, including cyberbullying, relational aggression, body image concerns, and social exclusion, without clear intervention frameworks that account for the structural features of social media platforms.
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Learning Objectives:
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Explain how social media algorithms influence adolescent identity, peer dynamics, and conflict.
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Identify links between social media use and youth mental health concerns.
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Assess social media-related stressors and digital peer conflict in school settings.
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Apply practical intervention strategies that support healthy online identity development beyond disciplinary responses.
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CEUs: 1.5 BOSW Clinical, BOSW Culturally Responsiveness, PELSB PBIS