'Digital Well-Being': a Dream or a Crisis?
About this event
"Digital well-being" has become one of the defining ideas of our time, but what does it actually mean?
Is it about using technology to support our mental health, strengthen social connections and help us thrive? Or is it something broader: finding balance, purpose and control in our everyday relationship with digital technologies?
Children and young people are at the centre of many conversations about digital well-being. Questions about social media, educational technology, screen time and online safety continue to shape public debate, as families, educators, policymakers and young people themselves navigate an increasingly digital world.
At the same time, growing concern about the impact of technology on our lives is influencing policy responses globally, with Australia emerging as a key site of innovation and reform.
This seminar brings together leading experts in youth mental health, researchers exploring how ideas of well-being are being shaped in schools, policy and commercial settings, and thinkers interested in the bigger question of what it means to live a happy, balanced and meaningful life in a digital age.
Whether you're interested in young people and children's welfare, the role of technology in everyday life, the future of education, or current debates about social media and regulation, this event offers an opportunity to engage with some of the most pressing questions of our time.
Most importantly, it's for anyone who cares about mental health and what "the good life" looks like in a world shaped by digital technology.
This event is available both in person and online via Zoom. Please select your preferred ticket type when registering.
Join us after the seminar for networking, drinks and canapés.
Presenters
Lucy Thomas
Lucy Thomas OAM is the Co-Founder and CEO of PROJECT ROCKIT, Australia’s youth-driven movement against bullying, hate and prejudice. What began as a grassroots initiative launched with their sister Rosie straight out of high school has grown into a national organisation that has empowered more than 750,000 young people through peer-led education, digital innovation and advocacy. Lucy has been recognised internationally for their contribution to youth wellbeing, including receiving the Order of Australia Medal for service to young people and the prevention of bullying. A passionate advocate for youth voice and online safety, Lucy serves on global advisory groups across the technology, government and education sectors, including with Meta, Snapchat and Spotify. Drawing on a background in Psychology and Creative Arts, as well as personal experiences of bullying and exclusion, Lucy brings warmth, insight and authenticity to every conversation, inspiring audiences to build kinder, safer and more inclusive communities.
Lyndsay Brown
Dr Lyndsay Brown is a research psychologist in the Adolescent Mental Health Team at the Black Dog Institute, UNSW Sydney. For the past seven years, she has worked on the Future Proofing Study, Australia’s largest and most comprehensive longitudinal study of adolescent mental health. Lyndsay currently leads the development of Teens & Screens, a curriculum-aligned digital wellbeing program for secondary schools. The program also includes a parent and carer component, Teens & Screens: Digital Wellbeing Support for Families.
Natalie Hendry
Dr Natalie Hendry is an educator and researcher whose work explores the complex relationships between education, digital media and health. She is Senior Lecturer in Youth Wellbeing, in the Faculty of Education at The University of Melbourne, where she teaches social and critical approaches to wellbeing in education and social research methodology. Natalie has a PhD in Media and Communication from RMIT University. Her research explores how young people and communities engage with digital media in relation to their social, mental and sexual health. Natalie's career started in 2003 as a community educator, before moving into secondary and hospital school education. She now regularly works with government, community, education and health organisations to understand digital cultures in people's everyday lives.
Luci Pangrazio
Luci is an associate professor in the School of Education at Deakin University. She researches datafication, digital and data literacies, young people's digital worlds and platformisation. Recent books include the Oxford Handbook Critical Data Literacies (OUP, 2027) and Critical Data Literacies: Rethinking Data and Everyday Life (MIT, 2023).
Event convener
Professor Julian Sefton-Green
Professor Julian Sefton-Green is a Chief Investigator at the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child and a leading scholar of digital culture, education and learning. His research explores how young people learn through digital media and everyday cultural activities, with a particular focus on learning beyond the classroom, social inequality and educational change. Since joining Deakin University in 2017 as Professor of New Media Education, Julian has held academic and leadership roles in the UK, Europe and Australia, including at the London School of Economics and the University of Oslo. His career spans schools, higher education, research and the creative industries.
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