Mental Health and Social Media - Moral Panic or Real Problem?

Social media is woven into the fabric of modern life and so are the arguments about its impact on mental health. Some warn of a ticking time bomb, with rising anxiety, depression, and social disconnection, especially among the young. Others see these claims as overblown, pointing to mixed evidence, untold benefits, and a long history of fearing new technologies. So which is it: an urgent crisis demanding decisive action, or a cultural panic in search of a villain? For New Zealand, the question is whether to move early to protect wellbeing or to avoid overreach while the full picture emerges. This session invites the evidence, the lived experience, and the hard questions that sit between the extremes.