Momentum Builds: Congress Countdown, AI Policy, and Community Impact | | The countdown is on–our 2025 Digital Media and Developing Minds International Scientific Congress is just weeks away! I’m thrilled to welcome our most expansive, interdisciplinary group of experts yet. If you haven’t registered, now is the time. And don’t forget to book your hotel by June 20! This month, we also submitted comments urging child-centered design priorities in national AI policy, and wrapped up a powerful spring season of #AskTheExperts webinars, with more to come this fall. | | |
Boredom is a common and frequently misunderstood psychological state for adults and children alike. In episode 15 of Screen Deep, The Science of Boredom, leading researcher James Danckert, PhD, joins host Kris Perry for an in-depth exploration of the complex neural state that is boredom, including a discussion on the potential effects on children’s cognition, well-being, and digital media use.
Missed earlier episodes? Visit the Screen Deep archive for all previous episodes. The next episode airs June 25!
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Win a Free Night at the 2025 Congress Hotel!
Heading to the 2025 Digital Media and Developing Minds Congress? Register now and book at least three nights at the Westin DC Downtown by June 18 for a chance to win one free night during your stay! Already registered and booked for three nights? You’re automatically entered. The winner will be notified by July 1, 2025.
Don’t miss this premier interdisciplinary event exploring the impacts of digital media on child and adolescent health and development.
| | Which side are you on? Our 2025 Congress panel “Debate: Should High Schools Impose Full-Day Smartphone Bans” will feature a lively discussion with a panel of experts diving into the pros and cons of enacting and enforcing these bans. Join us for this panel for your chance to weigh in—attendees will decide the winner of the debate!—and ask panelists the questions that matter to you. See the full list of scheduled panels and plan your Congress experience. | | | |
On Friday, June 20, 2025, the Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation will host the next installment of its Meeting the Moment webinar series: “Children and Screens.” The event will feature a panel of experts discussing the impact of screen use on children and teens. Among the featured speakers is Children and Screens’ Executive Director, Kris Perry.
The Centre for Healthy Screen Use launched its new website, providing free resources and tools for health professionals, policymakers, and families to promote healthy screen use for children, and the latest research on digital media’s impacts on children.
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A Special Statement on AI Regulation from Executive Director Kris Perry
AI is advancing rapidly, touching nearly every part of daily life. Both state and federal oversight are essential, but a proposed 10-year moratorium on enforcing state AI regulations risks disrupting that balance when it's needed most.
Children and Screens 2025-2026 Impact Fellows Announced
Meet our 2025-2026 Impact Fellows! These six exceptional graduate students will help drive research, shape policy, and support public education efforts to improve the digital health and well-being of young people.
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LGBTQ+ Youth and Digital Media Use
LGBTQ+ youth average several more hours of screen time a day than their non-LGBTQ+ peers – and their digital media use comes with a unique set of benefits and risks. Children and Screens’ latest Research-at-a-Glance is a quick, printable resource highlighting the latest research on key trends, benefits, and concerns.
| | | | | | | | From a proposed federal moratorium on state AI regulations to national hearings on screentime in schools, policymakers are making critical decisions that could shape the digital future for children and teens. Children and Screens is actively engaged—submitting federal comments, providing expert testimony, and advocating for safeguards that prioritize youth well-being. | | | | WEBINAR SHORT: Video Games, Young Children, and Toxic Online Cultures | | | |
From the #AskTheExperts webinar “Growing Up Online: Understanding Youth Internet Trends, Subcultures, and Relationships."
In this #AskTheExperts webinar clip, Sara Grimes, PhD (Wolfe Chair in Scientific and Technological Literacy and Full Professor, Communication Studies, McGill University) shares how video games may introduce younger children to toxic online cultures they don't understand—and the importance of parental intervention.
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