Digital Dopamine

Exploring the Impact of Technology on the Mental Health of Young People

June 18, 2027, 10:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Virtual via Zoom
Fee: $10 full members; $25 partial members and nonmembers
Continuing Education Hours: 2.0

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Course Description

The impact of technology on the social/emotional development of young people is one of the most discussed topics in the helping professions today. In this session, Dr. Harris explores how some forms of technology can negatively impact the social/emotional development of young people. Dr. Harris will pay specific attention to concepts such as the developmental time thief, validation craving, and the hijacking of the dopamine system.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain how certain technologies, especially social media and gaming platforms, use reward-based design to “hijack” the brain’s dopamine system, and describe how this affects attention, mood regulation, and impulse control in young people.
• Identify signs of “validation craving” in children and adolescents, including a reliance on likes, comments, and online feedback for self-worth, and describe how this pattern can affect identity formation and emotional well-being.
• Analyze the concept of technology as a “developmental time thief” by examining how excessive screen use can displace critical developmental experiences such as face-to-face social interaction, play, sleep, and physical activity, and apply at least two strategies to help young people and families reclaim that time.

Jim Harris, LICSW, Ed.D.

Dr. Jim Harris is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work. He also founded Opportunities Consulting Services. Dr. Harris brings a diverse background in health and human services, having served as an early interventionist, parent educator, educational consultant, university instructor, and behavioral health therapist.

A TEDx speaker whose talk was selected as an Editor’s Choice video, Dr. Harris has delivered presentations at conferences ranging from local gatherings to international venues on topics such as behavioral intervention, parenting, positive behavior support, trauma-informed practices, and organizational change. Dr. Harris has partnered with both public and private organizations, including the Fred Rogers Company, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Known for his practical and engaging approach to complex topics, Dr. Harris helps audiences better understand human behavior, both their own and that of the people they support.