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Activities

Policy recommendations

Evidence-based policy proposals and recommendations for schools, parents and regulatory bodies.

Upcoming conference

Social media and the mental health of children and adolescents: An urgent issue requiring action

Planned: July 2026

Context

In the digital era, social media has become inseparable from the lives of children and adolescents. Beyond communication and entertainment, it now shapes identity, supports career development and builds social relationships.

Yet the prevalence of social media also brings concerning negative impacts — especially on mental health, attention for learning, and the holistic development of young people. Manifestations such as social anxiety, image pressure, FOMO and cyberbullying are increasingly common.

International action

Many countries have rolled out decisive policy to protect adolescents in the digital environment.

Australia

Parliament passed a law banning under-16s from using social media, slated to apply from December 2025, with fines up to AUD 50 million for non-compliant platforms.

South Korea

From March 2026, students from primary through high school are banned from using smartphones in classrooms.

France

Parliament is proposing a ban on social media for under-15s following a thorough inquiry into the negative effects of digital platforms.

In Vietnam

Initial studies and forums have documented the impact of social media on adolescent mental health. However, there is still a lack of empirical data, concrete scientific evidence and clear policy recommendations for parents, schools, regulators and technology platforms.

Conference goals

The conference is organised to create an academic and policy forum to:

  • Share international experience and existing research findings.

  • Discuss urgent challenges in Vietnam.

  • Propose policy, education and communication solutions to protect mental health for children and adolescents in the digital environment.

Key discussion topics

  • What solutions should Vietnam deploy to raise awareness and reduce social-media risks for children and adolescents?

  • What are the priority actions for the next 5–10 years?

  • How can we strengthen cross-sector coordination between the state, schools, families, society and technology platforms?

Event information

Planned dateJuly 2026

Planned agenda

TimeContent
09:00 – 09:20Opening remarks & conference introduction
09:20 – 09:40Theme 1: Mental health of children and adolescents — situation overview & UNICEF projects to protect their mental health
09:40 – 10:00Theme 2: How and why social media impacts adolescent mental health — field-experiment report on 16–20 group (5 days without social media)
10:00 – 10:20Theme 3: International research and policy responses; data and projects already implemented in Vietnam
10:20 – 10:30Break
10:30 – 10:50Theme 4: Integrating mental-health training related to social media & smartphones into undergraduate psychology curricula
10:50 – 11:10Theme 5: Treatment of mental-health problems related to social media & smartphones in Vietnam
11:10 – 11:50Open discussion: Solutions and next actions for Vietnam
11:50 – 12:00Closing summary

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