Publication Date

Summer 2025

Document Type

Capstone Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Interdisciplinary Leadership

First Advisor

Dr. Erica Ceka

Second Advisor

Dr. Natalia Ermasova

Third Advisor

Dr. Joseph Strickland

Abstract

The spread of social media has posed severe mental health issues to Black and Brown female teens and pre-teens (BBFTPTs), as they are particularly prone to cyberbullying, racial discrimination, and Eurocentric beauty ideals. This qualitative analysis explored the incorporation of negative effects of social media by Chicago nonprofits on their mental health training programs for BBFTPTs. Employing semi-structured interview methodology on seven nonprofit leaders, the research examined organizational decision-making on curriculum development within the theoretical framework of resource dependency theory, institutional theory, and change management theory. Data analysis revealed funding limitations, pressure from external stakeholders on curricular decisions, and the post-pandemic organizational adjustment to the needs of mental support, all of which impact curricular choices. Some of the major conclusions show that organizations are working on new interventions, including media literacy programs, peer leader models, or culturally responsive interventions that can turn the youth into active creators of online content rather than mere consumers. The research found major changes in the traditional mental health paradigm to identity-based programs, which deal with the multi-faceted interplay between social media exposure, cultural identity, and mental health

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