Screen Deep

How is digital media use rewiring children’s brains – and how can these impacts be measured? In this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry discusses the latest research on screen use and brain development with Dr. Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education in Science and Technology and the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Dr. Horowitz-Kraus provides an overview of how the brain processes language and reading, what her brain imaging research shows about how these processes and related cognitive skills work differently with digital media, as well as how the presence of mobile phones and other technology can disrupt attention.In this episode, you will learn:What brain imaging is revealing about how screen use affects the developing brains of childrenWhy specific areas of the brain and the networks that connect them each matter for child reading and language developmentHow to read to your child to engage attention and creativityDifferences in how print versus digital reading activate cognitive regions in the brainHow the mere physical presence of a smartphone can affect children’s attention, impulse control, and task performanceFor more resources and research on this topic visit the Learn and Explore section of the Children and Screens website (https://www.childrenandscreens.org)--------------Follow Children and Screens on: Facebook: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child DevelopmentInstagram: @childrenandscreensLinkedIn: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child DevelopmentX: @childrenscreensBluesky: @childrenandscreens.bsky.social---------------Music: 'Life in Silico' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

Ran Barzilay, MD, PhD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and translational neuroscientist at UPenn studying the digital exposome. He discusses measuring online environments and a study linking age of first smartphone ownership to depression, sleep loss, and obesity. He talks about how researchers infer causality, what is still unknown about specific apps, and practical family approaches when evidence is limited.

Pilyoung Kim, developmental psychologist studying child brain development and AI, discusses how kids perceive chatbots as humanlike. She explores which children are vulnerable to forming attachments and the emotional costs of unconditionally supportive AI. She also talks about design changes, parental strategies, and research priorities to keep youth safer around AI companions.

Adam Dubé, PhD, Associate Professor of Learning Sciences at McGill who studies children and technology, discusses how youth perceive AI and the risks of cognitive offloading. He outlines four classroom roles for AI, teachers’ shifting views, data and personalization concerns, and clear criteria parents should use when choosing educational apps.

Children are increasingly encountering AI characters for both educational and entertainment purposes, but many of the chatbots and other AI products they interact with are not designed with child development and safety in mind. On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry pulls back the curtain on AI and child-centered design with Dr. Sonia Tiwari, a children’s media researcher and AI design expert. Drawing on her experience in game character design and her work bridging industry and academia, Dr. Tiwari explores how children think about and are drawn to AI characters, why AI products commonly used by children and adolescents today often fail at prioritizing child development, and the primary risks of child interactions with AI characters. She also offers insights on how products can be better designed to meet children’s and families’ needs, and what kinds of uses of AI characters might be helpful for children.In this episode, you will learn:How AI characters are experienced differently  than traditional media characters – and why it matters for children and adolescents.Why the developing brains of younger children have a more difficult time understanding the fictional nature of today’s AI characters.What defines a child-appropriate AI character grounded in developmental science.How parents and caregivers can use AI characters with children in purpose-driven and healthy ways.What social AI platform developers should consider to ensure their products are more ethically designed and centered on children’s developmental needs. For more resources and research on this topic visit the Learn and Explore section of the Children and Screens website (https://www.childrenandscreens.org)--------------Follow Children and Screens on: Facebook: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child DevelopmentInstagram: @childrenandscreensLinkedIn: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child DevelopmentX: @childrenscreensBluesky: @childrenandscreens.bsky.social---------------Music: 'Life in Silico' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

What is the social cost of looking at your phone when in the company of other people? Is smartphone and social media use making us less connected, more lonely, and addicted to the endless videos on our feed? On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry discusses the ways people are becoming more attached to their phones and less connected to others with Dr. Meredith David, Associate Professor of Marketing at Baylor University. Drawing on her diverse portfolio of research, Dr. David shares evidence on how social media use contributes to feelings of loneliness and FOMO, how design features of popular short form video platforms facilitate addictive behaviors, and how “phubbing” – phone-snubbing – negatively impacts a myriad of social relationships.In this episode, you will learn:What a nine year study shows about how social media use and loneliness influence each other. How a “negative cycle” can form between people using their phones in front of each other, reinforcing more phone use in front of others.What a consensus study from more than 120 leading researchers says about social media, sleep, and attention.Why short-form video platforms are so addictive – and which platform is designed to be the most addictive to use.How excessive use of short-form video platforms affects self-control and contributes to what many people call “brain rot.”For more resources and research on this topic visit the Learn and Explore section of the Children and Screens website (https://www.childrenandscreens.org)--------------Follow Children and Screens on: Facebook: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child DevelopmentInstagram: @childrenandscreensLinkedIn: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child DevelopmentX: @childrenscreensBluesky: @childrenandscreens.bsky.social---------------Music: 'Life in Silico' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

A child’s first smartphone is a modern "rite of passage" and today's parents face a challenging decision – when is the right time? Peer pressure and fear of missing out loom heavily, yet there are significant risks to introducing a smart device before a child is ready. On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry talks with psychologist and creator of iParent101, Dr. Adam Pletter, about developmental readiness and practical steps for safely introducing a “pocket-sized computer” that allows access to the entirety of the internet. Drawing on his clinical experience and work with both parents and adolescents, Dr. Pletter describes the signs parents can look for to determine whether a child is ready for a smart device, the benefits of parental controls and family communication, and what to do if a child was given access before they were ready. In this episode, you will learn:How to spot the signs that a child may be able to handle the responsibility of smartphone ownership.Why parents and caregivers should plan ahead for adult content exposure when considering the  introduction of a smartphone.How easing into personal device ownership with a less-connected “dumb” device is often helpful to prepare children for full smartphone access.Strategies to navigate conflict around child smartphone ownership and media use.How to advocate for safer smartphone design that defaults to child safety and privacy. Why parental controls and family media plans should be part of an evolving and collaborative conversation with kids around screen use.For more resources and research on this topic visit the Learn and Explore section of the Children and Screens website (https://www.childrenandscreens.org)--------------Follow Children and Screens on: Facebook: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child DevelopmentInstagram: @childrenandscreensLinkedIn: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child DevelopmentX: @childrenscreensBluesky: @childrenandscreens.bsky.social---------------Music: 'Life in Silico' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

Should phones be allowed in the classroom? On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry talks with Dr. Abraham Flanigan, an associate professor of educational psychology at Georgia Southern University about what phones actually do to attention, memory, and classroom climate. Drawing on his research on digital distraction, Dr. Flanigan sheds light on what teachers and students really think, what changes after phones go away, and perspectives on the utility and impacts of limiting device-use in the classroom. The discussion also addresses how some approaches are more effective than others in engaging students and maintaining rapport. In this episode, you will learn:What the latest research shows on how phones in the classroom affect focus, motivation, self-regulation, and grades.Why multitasking is cognitively impossible.How smartphone use leads to a "dopamine loop" in the brain that can interfere with motivation for other tasks.How students and educators feel about school smartphone bans.Why student smartphone access during school emergencies may actually make them less safe.For more resources and research on this topic visit the Learn and Explore section of the Children and Screens website (https://www.childrenandscreens.org)--------------Follow Children and Screens on: Facebook: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child DevelopmentInstagram: @childrenandscreensLinkedIn: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child DevelopmentX: @childrenscreensBluesky: @childrenandscreens.bsky.social---------------Music: 'Life in Silico' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

Parents increasingly recognize how family screen time shapes child development. But that awareness can bring guilt or shame when digital devices creep into daily life. On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry talks with Dr. Lara Wolfers, a leading researcher on how stress and guilt intersect with family media use, and Assistant Professor of Digital Lives and Head of the Center of Digital Lives at the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Basel, Switzerland. Dr. Wolfers explains when guilt can be constructive versus when it can be harmful to the parent-child relationship. She offers suggestions for navigating societal pressures and daily demands, and encourages parents to practice self-compassion. In this episode, you will learn:How parents use media for coping and media use links to stress and guilt. Why social standards around limiting digital media use can cause guilt and stress—yet also help adults curb their own use around children.How parent guilt and stress around screen habits can negatively impact parent-child relationships.Why being more intentional with media use can restore control and ease guilt and stress.  Why there is a disconnect between how we judge others’ media use vs. our own use.Which variables matter when deciding if screen time is “good” or “bad.”For more resources and research on this topic visit the Learn and Explore section of the Children and Screens website (https://www.childrenandscreens.org)--------------Follow Children and Screens on: Facebook: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child DevelopmentInstagram: @childrenandscreensLinkedIn: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child DevelopmentX: @childrenscreensBluesky: @childrenandscreens.bsky.social---------------Music: 'Life in Silico' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

Social development for today’s youth often includes navigating online social cruelty, such as cyberbullying and non-consensual sexting. On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry is joined by cyberbullying expert Dr. Elizabeth Englander, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State University, to discuss her research on teens’ online social behaviors, including cyberbullying and sexting, and her perspective on how to help youth develop resilience with these challenges. Dr. Englander addresses the risk factors associated with these behaviors, including why children engage in them, potential mental health impacts, and who is most vulnerable. Parents will find actionable guidance on how to intervene proactively by initiating conversation, as well as what to do if you suspect your child is a victim of cyberbullying. In this episode, you will learn:How today's technology and the "mob effect" can facilitate cyberbullying and amplify unintentional online cruelty, with longstanding impacts on children.Why even “popular” or self-confident children aren’t immune to cyberbullying.How to prepare children for use of smartphones and other digital devices – and the protective effect of doing so.Why girls are particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of cyberbullying and non-consensual sexting.What to do if you suspect your child if is being cyberbullied.Best practices for helpful and productive conversations with youth about cyberbullying and sexting.For more resources and research on this topic visit the Learn and Explore section of the Children and Screens website (https://www.childrenandscreens.org)--------------Follow Children and Screens on: Facebook: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child DevelopmentInstagram: @childrenandscreensLinkedIn: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child DevelopmentX: @childrenscreensBluesky: @childrenandscreens.bsky.social---------------Music: 'Life in Silico' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au