Anxiety in the Digital Age: Helping Adolescents (and Their Parents) Manage Social Media Use

With digital technology becoming second nature to most of today’s youth, professionals who support children and families are often called upon to help navigate screen time challenges.

This 90-minute workshop co-hosted by Anxiety Institute and Child Mind Institute, provides an overview of current trends in children’s digital media use—including gaming, social media, video content, and online interaction. Clinicians will explore age-appropriate screen time guidelines, the developmental impact of digital engagement, how digital use can contribute to anxious avoidance, and ways to incorporate strategies into evidence-based treatments. Whether you’re working in schools, clinics, or community programs, you’ll leave with practical tools and talking points to guide patients and their families in managing screen use effectively and collaboratively.

CE credit(s) available for clinical professionals, psychologists, therapists, counselors, and social workers. See below for details.

Learning Objectives

Identify current trends in digital media use among children and adolescents, including gaming, social media, video content, and online interaction.
Explain the relationship between digital engagement and anxiety, including the role of screen use in anxious avoidance and its developmental impacts.
Apply evidence-based strategies to help families establish healthy screen time habits and collaboratively manage digital media use in clinical, school, or community settings.

Presenters

Melissa Jeffay, PsyD

Psychologist, Anxiety Disorders Center, Child Mind Institute

Melissa Jeffay, PsyD, is a psychologist in the Anxiety Disorders Center at the Child Mind Institute with extensive experience treating anxiety disorders in children, adolescents, and young adults. Dr. Jeffay has worked in both school and clinical settings, treating a wide range of issues including separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, phobias, selective mutism, social anxiety, panic disorder, and OCD. She collaborates closely with families, educators, and others in the child’s environment to support meaningful, lasting change. She tailors interventions to each child’s unique strengths, using evidence-based treatments such as CBT, DBT, PCIT-SM, exposure and response prevention, and behavioral parent training to help kids face fears, improve functioning, and thrive.

Alnardo Martinez, LMHC

Interim Director, Pediatric OCD Intensive Service, Child Mind Institute

Alnardo Martinez, LMHC, is the Interim Director of the Pediatric OCD Intensive Service and a licensed mental health counselor at the Child Mind Institute. He specializes in treating OCD, social anxiety, selective mutism, phobias, and related disorders in children, teens, and young adults. A graduate of the IOCDF’s BTTI and a Level 3 RO-DBT practitioner, Mr. Martinez uses evidence-based treatments like CBT, ERP, ACT, and PCIT-SM to help young people overcome anxiety and build resilience. Known for his warm, engaging style, he creates a safe space for clients to face fears and grow. Fluent in English and Spanish, Mr. Martinez is passionate about making quality mental health care accessible to all families.

Dina Nunziato, PhD

Chief Clinical Officer, Anxiety Institute

BA, University of Virginia // MSW, New York University // PhD, University of Buffalo

Dr. Dina Nunziato serves as the Chief Clinical Officer at Anxiety Institute, overseeing clinical operations in our Greenwich, CT; Madison, NJ; and McLean, VA locations. She has spent over two decades working with young adults in anxiety-related clinical and educational settings and enjoys working with her Anxiety Institute colleagues to provide excellent clinical care for our clients and families. Dina’s Anxiety Institute training courses include The Impact of Chronic Mis-attunement: A Psychobiological Approach to Understanding Anxiety in Adolescents; Using Positive Psychology Techniques to Address Anxiety Disorders in Adolescents and Young Adults; and Under the CBT Umbrella: Exploring ERP and DBT Treatment Options and Choosing the Right Approach for Your Clients.

Prior to joining the Anxiety Institute, Dina was the Director of Counseling & Psychological Services at Sarah Lawrence College and was an adjunct professor of Integrated Clinical Practice at New York University. Her research and publications focus on the use of evidence-based mindfulness techniques to support anxiety management, academic success, and emotional well-being.

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Co-Hosted By

Questions regarding this course?

Kyrsten Bravo, Director of Outreach

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (203) 570-9623

Training Refund, Cancellation & Certification

Virtual Courses and Webinars

If you are unable to attend an online course or webinar, Anxiety Institute offers a 100% money-back guarantee, if you notify us at least 24-hours prior to the scheduled start date. For a multi-session course, cancellation must be received 24-hours prior to the first session.
If you are unable to attend a course session/webinar due to extenuating circumstances, a recording of the session will be available for viewing for two weeks after the live session date.
If Anxiety Institute cancels the availability of a course or webinar for any reason, participants will be notified via email. Though we would not do so without good reason, we reserve this right, as well as the right to reschedule courses and webinars and/or substitute presenters. In the case of a cancelled or rescheduled course, you may request a full refund of course/webinar fees paid.
If you wish to cancel your course registration, notification must be sent to [email protected] at least 24-hours prior to the scheduled start date.

Anxiety Institute, LLC disclaims any liability for any losses or damages, direct or indirect, arising from a training cancellation.

Certification
To receive CE credits, clinicians must attend the course sessions in real time, not via recorded sessions. All CE Certification fees are non-refundable.