Contagious Realities (2024) - Alice Dawkins, Natasha Mitchell, Sandersan Onie, Jean Twenge & Sonny Jane Wise

The increase in mental health and neurodivergent diagnoses in
recent years indicates that we’re more aware of our brains than
ever before.  




Does improved social awareness, self-identification,
representation and access mean we’ve reached a turning point in
the way we acknowledge and treat mental health and
neurodivergence in society? Or are we at risk of
over-pathologising ourselves and the world around us?


Alice Dawkins is the Executive Director of Reset.Tech
Australia, a policy organisation with a focus on regulating
digital risks and online harms. 


Sandersan Onie is an award-winning researcher at the Black Dog
Institute and Harvard Medical School and is passionate about a
mentally healthier world, especially how culture, AI, and tech
can contribute to this vision. 


Jean M. Twenge, Professor of Psychology at San Diego State
University, is the author of more than 180 scientific
publications and seven books, including Generations: The
Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and
Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future and iGen:
Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less
Rebellious.


Sonny Jane Wise is an Autistic Bipolar ADHDer, who offers a
powerful and relatable voice in the neurodiversity space. Their
books resources, workshops and talks have led to organisations
and services adopting a neurodiversity affirming framework and
embedding inclusion within their policies. 


Chaired by journalist, radio presenter, and podcaster Natasha
Mitchell.