Aaron Weiner, PhD

04/04/2025

🎉April is Alcohol Awareness Month and we're celebrating in a BIG way!

Take Prime Focus for FREE all month long.
Access: https://primeforlife.org/alcohol_awareness_month

Prime Focus is an online course that explores what making low-risk choices around alcohol looks like. It's 4 modules, takes about 4 hours total to complete, and just might help set low-risk guidelines for a lifetime!

Take it from your phone, tablet, or computer. And let us know what you think!

07/03/2024

Here's a new infographic for parents covering the top 5 addiction-related concerns for teens in 2024: alcohol, THC, va**ng, gaming, and social media. It includes:

- Red flags a problem may be developing
- Action items for parents
- Websites (with embedded links) I like for additional resources

https://www.weinerphd.com/big-five-teen-addiction-concerns

Please feel free to share it around if it's useful!

And also, I'd love your feedback: is something like this useful? Should I make more of these?

06/29/2024

Thanks to Parents.com for including me in their coverage of health concerns related to teens using energy drinks - particularly those that leveraging a desirable brand identity (like Starbucks) and that lean into wellness-based tropes.

As a side note - it's a daring move for Starbucks to release their own iced energy drink line after what happened recently with Panera Bread's lemonade (for those not aware: https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/07/food/panera-charged-lemonade-discontinued/index.html). Hopefully this has a happier ending...

06/20/2024

Join Dr. Aaron Weiner on June 24 at 7:00 PM CST for a live webinar on “The Big 5” addictions among teens and tweens—alcohol, THC, gaming, social media, and ni****ne. Learn how to distinguish between normal exploration and problematic behavior. Gain valuable insights from Dr. Weiner, a licensed psychologist and master addiction counselor. Secure your spot now and empower yourself with the knowledge to help your child navigate these challenges.

https://www.weinerphd.com/parenting-webinars/p/the-big-5-addiction-concerns-what-can-parents-do

06/19/2024

Teens and tweens often experiment with their independence and decision-making, but how can parents distinguish between normal exploration and a problem that requires attention? Join Dr. Aaron Weiner on June 24 at 7:00 PM CST for a live webinar addressing “The Big 5” most common addictions among teens and tweens—alcohol, THC, gaming, social media, and ni****ne.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights from Dr. Weiner, a licensed psychologist and master addiction counselor. Secure your spot now and empower yourself with the knowledge to help your child navigate these challenges.
https://www.weinerphd.com/parenting-webinars/p/the-big-5-addiction-concerns-what-can-parents-do

For any questions, email letstalk@weinerphd.com

06/17/2024

My two-minute take on the Surgeon General's call for a warning label on social media apps related to risks to kids' mental health ⬇️

In brief - I think it's a good thing. That said, we need awareness of risk as a bare minimum. We also need social media literacy, education, and oversight for kids for us to reverse this destructive trend.

What's your take? Let's discuss in the comments.

Surgeon General's Op-Ed: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/17/opinion/social-media-health-warning.html

My Op-Ed: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/a-change-in-mentality/202405/why-are-screens-bad-for-teens

06/17/2024

Join us TODAY for a FREE webinar with Dr. Aaron Weiner, a licensed psychologist and master addiction counselor, to explore the impact of smartphones on mental health. 🌟 Learn to recognize signs of unhealthy smartphone use, engage in productive discussions with your kids, set healthy boundaries, and promote mental wellness in your family. Don't miss this chance to gain insights and tools from a renowned expert!

🕒 Time: 7:00 PM
🔗 Register now: https://www.weinerphd.com/parenting-webinars/p/teens-tweens-screens

06/13/2024

Psychologists are always focused on mental health, and right now, there's a serious issue we need to address: teenagers overusing screens. The Surgeon General has issued a warning that excessive screentime, especially social media, is critically harming youth mental health, calling it “the defining public health issue of our time.”

Teens and screens notoriously share a complex relationship that can jeopardize long-term mental health and well-being. Here's how we optimize the benefits and mitigate the risks.

06/10/2024

Excited to announce a FREE webinar on June 17, 2024, at 7:00 PM! Join me, Dr. Aaron Weiner, licensed psychologist and addiction counselor, to explore the complexities of smartphone usage and its impact on mental health. Learn to recognize signs of unhealthy smartphone use, engage in constructive discussions with your kids, set healthy boundaries, and promote mental wellness in your family. Take advantage of this opportunity to gain valuable insights and tools.

https://www.weinerphd.com/parenting-webinars/p/teens-tweens-screens

For questions, email us at letstalk@weinerphd.com

📱🧠

06/05/2024

While smartphones offer safety, GPS tracking, and easy communication, they can also lead to serious mental health issues. Join Dr. Aaron Weiner, a licensed, board-certified psychologist, and master addiction counselor, in a FREE webinar to discuss this complex issue.

🌟 Learn to:
- Recognize signs of unhealthy smartphone use
- Engage in productive discussions with your kids
- Set healthy boundaries for smartphone use
- Promote mental wellness in your family

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and tools from Dr. Weiner, a renowned clinician, author, and frequent speaker on addiction treatment and issues.

📅 Date: June 17, 2024
🕒 Time: 7:00 PM

🔗 Register now to secure your spot and receive a recording of the webinar to watch anytime.

https://www.weinerphd.com/parenting-webinars/p/teens-tweens-screens

For questions, email us at letstalk@weinerphd.com.

05/24/2024

Social media, smartphones, and other tech are a double-edged sword in the hands of youth: they're capable of expanding their horizons and growth, but also of significant damage and harm. And like it or not, tech is an integral component of modern life for teens.

The solution? ➡️ We need to actively educate our kids to use these tools safely and productively, not to avoid them entirely. ⬅️

See below for my most recent article on Psychology Today where I explore current research related to the impact of tech on teens (and particularly social media), and recommendations on how parents can help their kids maximize the benefits and minimize the harms.

Additionally - I'm launching my Parenting Summer Webinar Series (Series link: weinerphd.com/parenting-webinars) on June 17th with a free webinar on the topic of Teens and Screens. Please consider registering to join us live, or to receive a copy of the recording! Webinar registration is here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/5917162322563/WN_dUnysoGNSR6BCMpEGmw8ZQ.

Hope to see you there!



https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/a-change-in-mentality/202405/why-are-screens-bad-for-teens

Teens and screens notoriously share a complex relationship that can jeopardize long-term mental health and well-being. Here's how we optimize the benefits and mitigate the risks.

05/08/2024

I'm excited to announce that I'm launching a new project: a virtual summer parenting series focused on enhancing mental health for teens and tweens! I'm offering my first training for free on June 17th: a deep dive into compulsive use of phones, social media, and video games and how parents can understand and shape these behaviors with their kids.

Each week I'll cover a different topic, culminating with an extra-length Q&A / discussion at the end of July. For more information, please see the flyer in the comments, or drop me a DM!



Workshop Link:

Join Dr. Weiner for a 6-part series of parenting webinars focused on how to enhance and support youth mental health and coping skills.