Description

Upon completion of this conference, participants will be able to:

1. Identify two primary mechanisms linking social media use to internalizing mental health outcomes in middle school students: social comparison and displacement of protective offline activities.
2. Explain the core components of the Comparison-Driven Displacement Model and its relevance to early adolescent development.
3. Apply the model to school-based scenarios to conceptualize student distress related to social media use.
4. Select assessment and intervention strategies that address comparison-driven and displacement-related risk factors within school social work practice.

 

Presenter Bio:

Dustin Wilder, MSW, LMSW, is a Doctor of Social Work (DSW) Candidate and a school social worker with Farmington Municipal School District in New Mexico. He earned his Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work degrees from New Mexico Highlands University. His professional practice is grounded in school-based mental health services, with experience supporting the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of students across elementary, middle, and high school settings within public education.

Wilder’s research interests center on the relationship between social media use and mental health outcomes among adolescents. His DSW capstone project examines how patterns of social media engagement contribute to anxiety, depressive symptoms, and diminished self-worth among middle school students. Drawing from social comparison theory and school-based practice, his work advances the Comparison-Driven Displacement Model, a conceptual framework designed to help practitioners better understand how digital comparison processes may interfere with healthy peer interaction, identity development, and emotional regulation.

Through his capstone project, Wilder aims to inform school social work practice by offering a clinically relevant framework that supports assessment, prevention, and intervention efforts within educational systems. His work emphasizes the importance of developmentally responsive, school-based approaches to addressing emerging mental health concerns linked to digital environments.

 

Delivery Method: Live Interactive Training via Zoom Video Conferencing

Credit Hours: 1.0 (ACE)

Target Audience: This conference is intended for social workers and students.

Accreditation: University of Kentucky College of Social Work, Provider # 1377, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 9/29/25-9/29/28. Social workers participating in this conference will receive up to 15 general continuing education credits.

Claiming CE Credit: Instructions for claiming CE credit will be disseminated at the beginning of each session.

Questions: If you have any questions regarding CE credit or to report a grievance, please contact Christina Krantz at Christina.Krantz@uky.edu. For technical assistance, please contact lmshelp@uky.edu.

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these presentations are those of the individual presenters and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of the University of Kentucky or the College of Social Work. The inclusion of any topics, perspectives, or discussions is intended for academic engagement and does not constitute endorsement by the institution.