Event

Mental health, social media and education with Pascal Minotte

Members-only event

Friday 22 May 2026, from 8.30 am to 9.30 am

This new "Expert Meeting" provided our members with a unique opportunity to discuss perceptions of problematic social media use.

On Friday 22 May, as part of our working group on « Protection of minors and public health », we were delighted to welcome Pascal Minotte a psychologist, psychotherapist and researcher at the Centre de référence en santé mentale (CRéSaM) in Namur.

Pascal Minotte emphasised:

  • that media literacy is essential, yet is unfortunately largely absent from public debate;
  • the importance of understanding teenagers’ everyday use of social media before addressing problematic uses, and the need to place issues relating to access to and use of social media within a social and cultural context;
  • that the decline in teenagers’ mental health is a complex, systemic issue. The causal link between young people’s mental health and social media has neither been established nor confirmed. In this regard, he particularly emphasised the importance of questioning the « effect size » of studies, which is often very small;
  • that the notion of « addiction » can lead to excessive pathologisation and a devaluation of parental expertise.

This discussion examines the next steps following the ban on social media for children under 15: At a time when legislation is being introduced to ban social media, what educational approach is being proposed? How, for example, will schools and parents be able to support teenagers in complying with this ban, the ultimate aim of which is their well-being?

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