Minding Our Minds Conference: Screen Time and Mental Health

Minding Our Minds Conference: Screen Time and Mental Health
Friday, Oct. 18 | 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. in Alumni Hall, Victoria College

Register Here

The Minding our Minds Conference, in its 12th year, assembles a diverse group of stakeholders to discuss timely issues in student mental health on campus. Students, administrators, faculty, health-care workers, psychologists, student leaders and many more come together to discuss and learn about some of the most pressing issues facing the university sector regarding mental health. Our theme this year is “Screen Time and Mental Health.”

Speakers will include Dr. Elia Abi-Jaoude, medical director of the Ambulatory Psychiatry Program at the Hospital for Sick Children; Dr. Izzy Justice, chief neuroscience officer at Neuro580.com; Dr. Rhonda McEwen, president of Victoria University; Prof. Ira Wells, academic programs director of Victoria College and more. 

This conference is open to U of T students, staff, faculty and librarians. Feel free to stay for the whole conference or drop by for any session you find interesting.

Conference program

9–9:30 a.m. – Registration and light breakfast
Foyer, Victoria College Building

9:30–10 a.m. – Welcome and land acknowledgement
Alumni Hall, Victoria College Building

• Kelley Castle, Dean of Students, Victoria University

10–11 a.m. – Opening keynote: “Digital Media and Youth: The Good, The Bad and The TikTok”
Alumni Hall, Victoria College Building

• Elia Abi-Jaoude, Medical Director, Ambulatory Psychiatry program, The Hospital for Sick Children and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto

11–11:15 a.m. – Refreshment break
Foyer, Victoria College Building

11:15 a.m.–12:30 p.m. – Practitioners and researchers panel: “Interdisciplinary Panel Discussion on Screen Time: Challenges, Connections, Isolations, Addictions, and Accessibility"
Alumni Hall, Victoria College Building

• Dr. Rhonda McEwen, President and Vice-Chancellor, Victoria University
• Prof. Ira Wells, Academic Programs Director, Victoria College
• Dr. Elia Abi-Jaoude, Medical Director, Ambulatory Psychiatry program, The Hospital for Sick Children and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto
• Janine Robb, Executive Director, Health & Wellness, University of Toronto (moderator)

12:30–1:30 p.m. – Lunch break
Foyer, Victoria College Building

1:30–2:45 p.m. – Student voices panel: Perspectives on the Screen Scene
Alumni Hall, Victoria College Building

• Andrea Perez, 3rd year student, Victoria College
• Armiti Zarbakhsh, 3rd year student, Victoria College
• Mridula Sathyanarayanan, 3rd year student, Victoria College
• Joseph Hill, 2nd year Master of Teaching student, OISE
• Sean Martin, Associate Dean, Wellness & Community Engagement, Victoria University (moderator)

2:45–3 p.m. – Refreshment break
Foyer, Victoria College Building

3–4:15 p.m. – Workshop: The Neurological Paradox of Screen Time - You Can't Be Calm in a Traffic Jam

• Izzy Justice, Chief Neuroscience Officer at Neuro580.com

4:15–4:30 p.m. – Closing remarks
Alumni Hall, Victoria College Building