Summary:
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VidCon partners with Lighthouse Edutainment for panels on social media’s impact on mental health.
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Creators face burnout, lack mental health resources. VidCon aims to spark a movement toward healthier tech relationships.
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VidCon focuses on mental health, aims to inspire attendees with balanced digital life approach.
VidCon has spent 15 years celebrating the creators and platforms at the heart of online culture. This year, in conjunction with its 15th annual flagship event, the convention is making room for a harder conversation about what that culture costs the people living and working inside it.
The convention is partnering with multimedia company Lighthouse Edutainment to program a run of panels at its 2026 Anaheim event focused on social media’s impact on mental health, burnout, cyberbullying, dopamine-engineered feeds, and identity pressures that fall hardest on Gen Z and Gen Alpha. VidCon and Lighthouse shared the partnership exclusively with What’s Trending ahead of the event, which runs June 25 to 27 at the Anaheim Convention Center.
More than 1.8 million people now identify as full-time creators, an eightfold jump since 2020, and the research on their well-being has grown harder to ignore. A 2025 study from Creators 4 Mental Health and Lupiani Insights & Strategies, the initiative founded by What’s Trending host Shira Lazar, surveyed more than 500 North American creators and found that 62 percent reported burnout and 89 percent said they lacked access to specialized mental health resources.
A companion analysis tied to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that 10 percent reported work-related suicidal thoughts, nearly double the rate of the broader U.S. population. Separate surveys have put the burnout figure even higher, with financial instability and constantly shifting platform algorithms ranking among the most cited stressors.
E! founder Larry Namer will sit down with Lighthouse founder Antony Gordon to discuss where the content landscape is heading. UFC veteran Jared Gordon and NBA player Calvin Andre “CJ” Miles Jr. will join NBA player engagement executive Drew Franklin to talk about competing under constant social media scrutiny.
Grammy-nominated producer Maejor will join a panel on whether AI tools in music and content can ease the creative workload without stripping out the human element.
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Other sessions look at the platforms themselves. A creator-track panel breaks down how social media algorithms decide what gets seen and rewarded. A separate discussion on protecting younger users features Promly founder and CEO Jen Libby, diVine Video co-founder Dr. Liz Sweigart, Gen Z consultant Shelby Edwards and Organization for Social Media Safety CEO Marc Berkman, moderated by Gordon.
“The mental health consequences of social media addiction have become impossible to ignore,” Gordon said. “Our partnership with VidCon represents an opportunity to engage directly with creators, families, educators, and young audiences in a way that is both culturally relevant and solution-oriented. Together with VidCon, we want to help spark a movement toward healthier relationships with technology and social media.”
Sarah Tortoreti, vice president of VidCon, said the programming reflects the event’s focus on topics relevant to its audience. “Creators hold incredible power to shape culture and spark meaningful conversations, and at VidCon, we are committed to addressing the topics that matter most to our audiences,” she said. “Through our partnership with Lighthouse Edutainment, we aim to deliver programming that not only informs but also inspires and equips attendees to approach digital life with greater balance, mindfulness, and intention.”
VidCon was founded in 2010 by YouTube creators John and Hank Green and joined FAN EXPO in 2024. Lighthouse Edutainment, founded by Gordon with early backing from Ron Burkle’s Yucaipa Companies, produces entertainment and educational content built around social and cultural issues.
VidCon Anaheim runs from June 25 to 27. Tickets and the full schedule are available at vidcon.com.
This story touches on mental health. If you or someone you know is struggling, support is available through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.
