Progress and Accolades for Institute Initiatives | |
Kris Perry, Executive Director
This season marks several important and exciting milestones for the Institute – from Screen Deep’s Webby Award nomination to national speaking engagements and a notable mention in Nature for the Handbook of Children and Screens. As we continue to advance research, educate communities, and inform policy, we’re pleased to see this work gaining broader recognition.
| | | |
What are the effects of today’s AI technologies on children’s development? On episode 13 of Screen Deep, AI's Impact on Children's Social and Cognitive Development, host Kris Perry and guest Ying Xu, PhD, discuss how children currently think about AI technologies, and the potential risks and benefits of AI for children’s cognitive and social development.
The 29th Annual Webby Awards. Thank you for supporting Screen Deep as a nominee in the Science and Education (Podcasts) Category. While we did not take home the award, your support helped elevate Screen Deep – and the vital research and resources it provides – to an international stage.
| |  | |
Now live: Take a first look at the list of confirmed speakers for this year’s Congress. Representing a wide range of professions and areas of expertise, these interdisciplinary leaders will help shape critical conversations on the complex effects of digital media on children and adolescents. Space is limited and the 2023 Congress sold out so reserve your spot today.
Keep an eye on your inbox for information about this year’s sessions. This programming will showcase the full depth and breadth of the Congress, highlighting the expertise of our roster of speakers and moderators. More to come—stay tuned.
| | | |
The KiDS: Keep It Digitally Safe Campaign (KiDS) is seeking multimedia art submissions (until September 30, 2025) from young people and others to create warning labels for social media platforms, with the goal of raising awareness about the harms of these platforms, elevating youth voices, and spurring change to better support children's digital well-being.
5Rights Foundation and Digital Futures for Children are hosting a virtual launch of 5Rights’ The Children and AI Design Code on April 29, 2025. The Code provides guidelines for the development of AI with considerations for children’s rights and well-being.
| | | |
“Are screens harming teens? What scientists can do to find answers,” Nature, April 2, 2025.
"The fierce debate about smartphones and adolescent mental health rests on conflicting science. Researchers and technology companies must work to improve it. The Handbook of Children and Screens, published earlier this year, handily summarizes studies on the impacts of digital media on young people’s development. The book took nearly 400 specialists and 87 chapters to cover the thousands of studies done…”
| | |
Parenting Tip Sheet: Online Misinformation, Disinformation, and Youth: Children and Screens’ newest tip sheet provides parents and caregivers with strategies to teach children to evaluate misleading and false content they find online. | | | | | | | | Congress saw a flurry of activity heading into its two week recess on April 10, with momentum building around tech regulation. The bipartisan TAKE IT DOWN Act is advancing quickly, while recent hearings signal renewed interest in online safety, AI in education, and children's digital well-being. Broader legislation like KOSA and COPPA 2.0 remains on hold—for now. | | | When does exposure to violent or toxic online content start to negatively impact children’s mental health and behavior? What should parents and caregivers do about it? Join Children and Screens for the #AskTheExperts webinar, “Violent Media, Toxic Online Spaces, and Youth Aggression” on Wednesday, April 30, at 12pm ET. Leading experts in media, child development, and online behavior will examine what we know – and what we still need to understand – about the connection between digital media exposure and youth aggression. | | | | WEBINAR SHORT: Signs of Loneliness in Children and Adolescents | | | |
From the #AskTheExperts webinar “Growing Up Lonely? Connection and Isolation in the Digital Age."
Khadijah B Watkins, MD, MPH, DFAACAP (Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Training, Associate Director, The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School) joined the #AskTheExperts webinar “Growing Up Lonely? Connection and Isolation in the Digital Age” on February 26, 2025 to break down the signs and symptoms of loneliness that parents should look out for in children and adolescents.
| | | | | Your support plays a crucial role in delivering science-based, actionable insights to families, educators, and key decision-makers. Your generosity supports collaborative research, public education initiatives, and our nonpartisan advocacy work across the country. | | | | |
