Presenting at the 2024 RSIS Conference

Keynote Presentation: The age of algorithms: How TikTok is changing how young people relate to themselves and to each other

Algorithms developed by social media platforms are reshaping young people's self-image and relationships to the world and each other. Our research team has studying this space for several years, including an investigation of TikTok's algorithms and eating disorder echo chambers that attracted the attention of TikTok, Federal MPs, and the eSafety Commissioner. Drawing upon the latest research, this talk will discuss the nature and effects of social media algorithms more broadly, including eating disorders, beauty filters and their pipeline through to cosmetic procedures, the perpetuation of toxic masculinity and incel culture, online tribalism, and the trend towards self-diagnosed mental health issues. We aim to offer insights into these digital spaces so that teachers can better support young individuals' well-being as they navigate and contend with their increasingly complex online worlds.

Dr Scott Griffiths

Dr Scott Griffiths is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychological Sciences at the University for Melbourne. He leads the Physical Appearance Research Team, a multi-disciplinary group of researchers and health professionals who investigate body image, appearance-related stigmas, appearance-related discrimination, appearance-enhancing substances, appearance enhancement, and appearance-related psychological disorders such as eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorders.