What will it be like for teenagers of the future?
Psychologist and author Dr Katherine Canobi explores how teenagers respond to technology at a time when social media can help them disguise, or even escape from, reality
Published 11 December 2019
The teenage brain is very interesting.
According to Dr Katherine Canobi, author and cognitive developmental psychologist at the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, it’s a time when young people are starting to work out who they are, as well as looking to form meaningful and authentic relationships.
“During this stage, their brains are still developing in various ways, for example executive function like decision making isn’t fully developed yet and neither is impulse control.”
Combining novel writing and research, Dr Canobi is interested in how teenagers respond to the technology in their lives.
Her novel Mindcull, explores how technology can be used to disguise and escape from reality.
“It’s probably fair to say that there are links between extensive screen use and symptoms of depression and anxiety, but not every study has found that. Some studies have found positive results for social media for a sense of connection with others,” she says.
Dr Canobi says we need to look at how we use technology. In particular, think about the vulnerabilities of young people and how we can use technology well.
“Technology is with us and it does many, many wonderful things but we also need to be aware of the risks.”
Episode recorded: October 8, 2019.
Interviewer: Dr Andi Horvath.
Producer, editor and audio engineer: Chris Hatzis.
Co-production: Silvi Vann-Wall and Dr Andi Horvath.
Banner: Getty Images
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