Holly Peek, MD, MPH

As technology continues to expand exponentially, so does our potential to harness these technological capabilities to expand the field of psychiatry. At Psychiatric Times this year, we highlighted a range of topics on these advancements.

What if we were able to harness the immense power of our digital connections to create tools that can potentially make our lives happier and healthier?

Because of the widespread use of selfies by young people in social media and digital communication, it is important to examine the psychology behind the selfie as well as ways mental health professionals can talk to adolescents and their parents about these issues.

It is essential that we psychiatrists align ourselves with the public and our patients both to disseminate accurate information and to educate. Social media allows us to have this public voice more than ever before.

As the use of social media becomes necessary for the online presence of medical professionals, this topic will continue to be essential for the training of both current and future psychiatrists.