This webinar is the first in a three-part series of standalone yet interconnected webinars on the impacts of digital technologies on mental health and addictions, hosted by Gambling, Gaming and Technology Use (GGTU).
The impacts of digital technologies on mental health and addictions: Exploring the impacts of dating apps on mental health among adults
This webinar will share evidence-informed knowledge and lived experience reflections on the current state of dating apps and their impacts on mental health. Platforms like Tinder, Grindr and Bumble, for example, are immensely popular tools that people use to connect with one another for casual encounters and meaningful relationships. However, there is increasing evidence that using these apps can lead to negative impacts on mental health (e.g., feelings of anxiety and loneliness) and self-esteem.
What do we know about the risks and benefits of using dating apps? Are there new or emerging behavioural patterns worth exploring, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic when the number of people using dating apps has skyrocketed? The audience will be asked to reflect on such questions in relation to their clinical work and/or research, as well as have an opportunity to engage in a Q&A discussion.
Date: Thursday February 10, 2022
Time: 1 - 2 p.m. EST
Learning objectives
Following this webinar, participants will able to:
- Understand the breadth of digital dating behaviours and their impacts on mental health and addictions in an adult population.
- Gain greater knowledge of the lived experience of using dating apps during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This webinar is accredited by the Canadian Problem Gambling Certification Board and the Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation for 1.0 Continuing Education Unit(s)/credit(s)/hour(s).
Find more GGTU training-webinars.
Speaker
Treena Orchard, PhD: Dr. Treena Orchard is an Associate Professor in the School of Health Studies at Western University in London, Ontario. An anthropologist with cultural and medical expertise, she conducts ethnographic research with women and others in sex work, people living with HIV/AIDS, and Indigenous populations. Her special research interests include sexuality and sex work, gender, and the politics of health. Treena also enjoys gardening, interior design, and creative writing, and is completing a memoir about her hilarious, humbling, and harrowing dive into the world of digital dating.