Comments or feedback? Send us a text! Digital media is changing the way young people experience—and express—mental health struggles, particularly depression. Child and adolescent psychiatrist, Dr. Meredith Gansner, joins us to discuss themes in her new book Teen Depression Gone Viral. 🔍 Topics We Explore:What inspired Teen Depression Gone Viral and the choice to focus on digital media’s roleCurrent trends in teen depression—what’s driving the rise?Why are so many teens turning to social media for psychiatric education?How digital culture alters the presentation and self-understanding of depressive symptoms in adolescentsUnderstanding the addictive properties of digital devices and their emotional withdrawal effectsThe risks of social media self-diagnosis—and how clinicians and parents can respondSocial contagion and the viral spread of mental health content onlineEngaging teens who reject a depression diagnosisScreen time: symptom, cause, or both?When online communities are helpful—and when they’re harmfulThe critical role of sleep in teen mental health—and how screens disrupt itThe corrosive impact of pornographyOnline identity-based diagnoses: ADHD, ASD, and the “diagnosis du jour” effectHow social media shapes teens' attitudes toward psychiatric treatmentSetting digital boundaries in ways that foster trust and connectionMeredith E. Gansner, MD is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Clinically, she works at Boston Children’s Hospital, where she specializes in the evaluation and treatment of youth with mood disorders, self-injurious behaviors, and emerging psychiatric risk profiles.Dr. Gansner’s research centers on the intersection of digital media use and adolescent psychopathology, with a particular focus on how online environments shape the presentation and course of depressive symptoms. She is widely published in the areas of psychiatric misdiagnosis, social contagion, and screen-related mental health trends, and is recognized as a leading expert in how digital culture influences youth mental health. Her new book, Teen Depression Gone Viral, was recently published by Guilford Press.

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