Flinn Foundation Represented at Global Leadership Exchange on Mental Health

On June 24-25, 2024, the Ethel and James Flinn Foundation’s Andrea Cole attended a special convening of global foundations as part of the Global Leadership Exchange on Mental Health.

The invitation-only event was held in Brussels, Belgium, and gathered key foundations from around the world to discuss shared challenges and opportunities around climate anxiety, democratic anxiety and the impact of social media on mental health.

One key element to the conversation was the harmful impact of social media and technology on young people and families.

“The loss of connection and social interaction that we all need as humans is something all mental health foundations and health organizations are worried about,” says Cole. “We discussed how to best lift up this information so parents and families know the damage that social media and device use is causing.”

As more research shows the effects of continuous device and social media use by young people, Cole predicts mental health organizations will share increased messaging about the relative harms.

“I look forward to connecting further with mental health foundations on a global scale. There is so much we can learn from each other and achieve when we collaborate as we did in Brussels,” Cole says.