AI Companions and Kids: What You Need to Know
From late-night venting to homework help, the use of AI companions are becoming a part of everyday life for many tweens and teens. What does this mean for the ability to form real world friendships? What should parents and caregivers know about mental health and social development risks from the use of these types of AI technologies?
The Children and Screens Guide for Early Child Development and Media Use: Infants and Children Ages 0-5
Advancing the Agenda: A Report from the Breakout Sessions at #MediaAndMinds25
This report is a summary of the 19 breakout sessions at the 2025 Media and Minds Congress.
2025 Digital Media and Developing Minds International Scientific Congress
ON DEMAND NOW: Congress Sessions
Our in-person and virtual events bridge the knowledge gap between researchers, clinicians, parents, and families. See all events.
Michael Robb, PhD
Head of Research
Common Sense Media
Andrew Clark, MD
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Boston University School of Medicine
Anne Maheux, PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Tara Steele
Director
The Safe AI for Children Alliance (SAIFCA)
Michael Robb, PhD
Head of Research
Common Sense Media
Andrew Clark, MD
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Boston University School of Medicine
Anne Maheux, PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Tara Steele
Director
The Safe AI for Children Alliance (SAIFCA)
Our Impact
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Social Relationships
…are connections between two or more individuals, and include peers, friendships, families, romantic ties, community groups, and even parasocial connections with digital creators. Formed both online and offline, these bonds shape development through supportive, prosocial behaviors and/or antisocial dynamics. They are increasingly affected by today’s digital landscape which can serve as both facilitator and disruptor.
Face-to-face conversations change when technology is present…if these interruptions take place, the quality of that interaction is degraded…and people feel less connected to the other individual.”
On Social Relationships
The Social Brain on Screens
What are the functions of the social brain in childhood and what strategies can encourage healthy social development in youth?
How does technology affect kids' social development?
How do technology-mediated experiences impact social development across childhood? What role do devices and digital media play in social interactions and the development of critical social skills?
Growing Up Online: Understanding Youth Internet Trends, Subcultures, and Relationships
Where and how are children and teens spending their time online, and what is the nature of the cultures and relationships they are forming there? How are these affecting their offline development and sense of self?
Growing Up Lonely? Child Connection and Isolation in the Digital Age
Are today’s children lonelier than past generations? How are digital devices and social media shaping their ability to connect, and what does that mean for their long-term emotional and social well-being?
(dis)Connected? Relationships in the Digital Age
With increasing reliance on digital platforms for interaction, how are relationships changing? How do we promote personal connections in the context of near-ubiquitous use of smartphones and other technologies?