Digital wellness top of agenda at SRMG experience at Cannes Lions

Digital wellbeing and 24/7 connectivity were the focus of conversation at the SRMG Experience on Tuesday at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Global media group SRMG welcomed Larissa May, Founder and Executive Director of #HalftheStory in the United States, who joined Abdullah Al-Rashid, Founder of Sync Summit and Director at Ithra, in a panel discussion that delved into how technology is impacting our wellbeing. Moderator Haifa Aljedae, Managing Director of SRMG Think led the digital-wellness experts in an important discussion on increasing awareness of the potentially negative impacts of 24/7 connectivity on our health and wellbeing.

The panelists called on digital platforms to prioritize the digital wellbeing of young people now and in the future by incorporating ethical design principles.

May said the role of #HalfTheStory is to empower the next generation of consumers to “thrive online and in life” and to set boundaries for their digital use. “We often don’t step back and notice how our devices have infiltrated our lives – especially those of us who work in the media industry,” she said.

Al-Rashid noted that Saudi Arabia is the world’s top user of YouTube and among the top three users globally of Snapchat and Twitter. He asked guests to consider that “the majority of our population are connected all the time and have only ever experienced that way of life. What does that mean for them?”.

The dynamic conversations at the SRMG Experience highlight the group’s efforts in shaping the media industry regionally, specifically as it undergoes a wider digital transformation. The SRMG Experience will continue all week with an exclusive program of events. For details visit www.canneslions.srmg.com.