Seventy-five parents, educators, health providers, youth, community leaders, and state legislators gathered on May 13 at the University of Rhode Island’s Higgins Welcome Center for the Washington County Coalition for Children’s 3rd Annual Youth Mental Health Summit.  This year’s theme, Beyond Algorithms: Real Talk on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, was designed to tackle Part 1 of the Coalition’s youth-driven Action Plan for Mental Wellness: Controlling social media and its grip on young people’s lives.

A Keynote Grounded in Agency

Dr. Jacqueline Nesi, a Brown University psychologist and one of the leading researchers on technology and adolescent mental health, set the tone for the evening. Rather than stoking panic, Dr. Nesi challenged attendees to think about agency — encouraging both youth and the adults who care for them to weigh their technology use against their own values. She named the design features — endless scroll, autoplay, notification badges, and streaks — built to keep users hooked, and encouraged youth to consider their values and what’s most important to them in controlling their social media use.  She also offered a simple, powerful suggestion for setting limits and managing sleep: keep phones outside the bedroom at night.  

Youth Voices at the Center

Two local student podcast hosts, from Westerly and South Kingstown High Schools, sat down with Dr. Nesi for a candid conversation on parental monitoring, media literacy, and whether social media is truly addictive.

A policy panel followed, bringing together state legislators, a school administrator, and three student mental health advocates. Panelists shared how RI’s mandated phone-free school day is playing out in practice.  Youth panelists spoke frankly about age restrictions, online gambling risks in games marketed to minors, and the need for digital-literacy education that starts early and continues through high school.

Turning Dialogue into Action

The evening closed with small-group roundtable discussions where attendees — youth included — worked through what meaningful next steps look like at every level: for young people themselves, for families, for schools, and for government. Strong support emerged across the board for school cell phone policies and for state legislation restricting children’s social media access, along with concrete ideas for families, educators, and policymakers to carry forward.

The Summit was made possible with support from the Rhode Island Foundation, the Chris Collins Foundation, and URI’s Department of Human Development & Family Science.

Want the full story — the research, the roundtable takeaways, and the community action agenda that came out of the evening? View the videos and download the complete Summit Report and Tips.