From the Desk of the Executive Director

March 2026

Why the California Social Media Addiction Trials Matter

Across the country, families are grappling with the realities of raising children in a digital environment that is evolving faster than our collective understanding of its impacts. In California’s courtrooms, that lived experience is being examined in a new and significant way.

As this newsletter lands in your inboxes, the first active jury trial of a much larger wave of cases is currently in the deliberation phase. These lawsuits – filed by families, school districts, and state attorneys general – allege that certain platform designs have contributed to youth mental health harms. They do not hinge on whether technology is inherently “good” or “bad.” Rather, they are focusing on product design: on the persuasive features intentionally engineered to maximize engagement, extend time on the platform, and increase advertising revenue.

For years, much of the conversation about children’s digital lives has centered on parental responsibility and screen time limits. While parents undeniably play a critical role, research increasingly shows that the design of digital environments powerfully shapes behavior, for both adults and children alike. 

Infinite scroll. Algorithmic feeds. Variable reward systems. Push notifications. These are not neutral features. They are products of deliberate engineering decisions.

The California trials are significant because they elevate that distinction. They ask whether companies that design products to capture and hold attention, particularly the attention of developing brains, bear responsibility for foreseeable harms. In doing so, they shift part of the accountability conversation upstream, toward corporate practices and product design.

These cases are also giving visibility to the experiences of families. The parents who have come forward are sharing deeply personal stories of loss, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and compulsive use. Their courage has helped move what was once a private struggle into the public sphere. By speaking out, they are ensuring that youth mental health is not treated as an abstraction, but as a human reality.

At Children and Screens, our role is not to litigate these cases. It is to ensure that public discourse remains grounded in rigorous, interdisciplinary research. The science tells us several important things:

• • Adolescence is a uniquely sensitive period for social reward, peer feedback, and emotional development.
  • Design features that amplify comparison, social validation, and continuous engagement interact directly with these developmental vulnerabilities.
  • Not all children are affected equally. Individual differences matter.
  • Product design choices, not just user choices, shape outcomes.

The courtroom is not a research lab, but it can be a powerful venue for surfacing opaque business incentives and design decisions that impact user well-being. In that sense, these trials are helping illuminate how digital ecosystems function behind the scenes.

Importantly, accountability does not mean prohibition. Nor does it mean dismissing the benefits that digital platforms can provide for connection, creativity, and information access. It means asking whether the current incentive structures align with children’s well-being — and whether design can evolve in ways that support healthier use.

We are at a pivotal moment. Policymakers are debating platform liability and safety standards. Pediatricians are seeking better guidance tools. Schools are confronting the downstream effects in classrooms. Parents are searching for clarity and support. And now, courts are examining whether companies have a duty to anticipate and mitigate harm.

The California trials are not the final word on social media and youth mental health. But they are an important chapter in a broader reckoning — one that recognizes that protecting children online requires shared responsibility.

We owe it to families — and to the brave parents who have stepped forward — to ensure that this moment leads to meaningful, evidence-informed change.

January 2026

Evidence, Clarity, and Connection in a Rapidly Changing Digital World

As we move from 2025 to 2026, we do so at a moment of heightened uncertainty, one shaped by rapid technological change and growing questions for parents, educators, clinicians, and policymakers invested in children’s health and well-being. Advances in new technologies, particularly AI, are outpacing the research base, while critical conversations, including how schools approach smartphone restrictions, continue to evolve quickly. 

In moments like these, the need for reliable, research-backed, and accessible guidance has never been greater. As an independent, nonpartisan Institute that does not accept funding from technology companies, we are able to provide evidence-based guidance free from commercial influence.

Children and Screens collaborates with experts across disciplines to translate research into practical, real world guidance. From our Screen Deep podcast to our live #AskTheExperts webinars, to parenting tip sheets (including our new age-and-stage guides), and Research-at-a-Glance digests, we’ve built a growing library of free, public-facing resources and we’re already moving full steam ahead into 2026.

This commitment to bridging research, policy, and practice also extends beyond the Institute. This winter and spring, I’m honored to serve as a Distinguished Visitor in the Mimi and Peter E. Haas Distinguished Visitor Program at Stanford University, engaging with students and faculty on how evidence can better inform policy and practice to support children’s well-being in a rapidly changing digital world.

As we reflect on the year behind us, here are a few highlights from the educational resources and events that resonated most strongly in 2025.

Highest-Attended #AskTheExperts Webinars

In 2025, #AskTheExperts delivered twelve free, expert-led panels, featuring live Q&A’s and supplemental resources. Parents’ top choices reflected a clear demand for guidance on navigating both their own technology use and the increasingly complex digital environments their children inhabit.

• • “Technical Interference: Screens and the Parent-Child Relationship” offered practical strategies for managing parents’ own media use to strengthen parent-child relationships. 
  • “Growing Up Online: Understanding Youth Internet Trends, Subcultures, and Relationships” demystified where, how, and why children spend time online and what parents can do to support them. 
  • “Violent Media, Toxic Online Spaces, and Youth Aggression” provided clinical and research insights into media exposure and youth well-being, along with concrete protective strategies.

Most-Listened to Podcast Episodes

2025 was a particularly active year for the Screen Deep podcast. I had the pleasure of hosting 18 conversations exploring how digital media shapes development from early childhood through adolescence. Top episodes reflected urgent questions about smartphone use:

• • “Phones in Schools” examined classroom phone policies and their impact on learning and relationships.
    
  • “How Phones Are Making Us More Lonely and Addicted” explored the role of platform design in loneliness, FOMO, and compulsive use.
  • “The Science of Boredom” challenged listeners to rethink boredom as a meaningful signal tied to attention, motivation, and digital media habits.

Most Popular Tip Sheets and Guides

Parents consistently turned to our age-and-stage resources and tip sheets for practical, evidence-based guidance tailored to children’s developmental needs. 

• • “The Children and Screens Guide for Early Child Development and Media Use: Infants and Children Ages 0-5″ was the most-read tip sheet of the year, offering research-informed insights and concrete strategies to help parents of infants and young children support healthy brain, social, and emotional development while managing digital media use.
    
  • “ADHD Youth and Digital Media Use” was also in high demand, addressing the unique ways digital environments can affect children with ADHD and providing actionable recommendations to support healthy physical, emotional, and cognitive development.
    
  • “The Children and Screens Guide for Child Development and Media Use: Middle Childhood Ages 6-11” closed out 2025, focusing on the transitional years when children gain greater independence with technology. Despite its late-year launch, the guide quickly became one of our most accessed resources and continues to serve as a trusted reference for parents and caregivers navigating this pivotal developmental stage.

As we enter 2026, we look forward to sharing even more research-driven resources, educational events, and expert insights. Thank you for standing with us in 2025 and for helping to ensure that children’s health and development remain at the center of our digital future.

October 2025

We are living through a breathtaking moment in technology. Artificial intelligence is leaping from research labs into nurseries, classrooms, and living rooms, often faster than developmental science can keep up. While that speed is exciting, it also raises a clear responsibility: to ensure innovation serves children’s health, safety, and development, and that policy guardrails keep pace.

I’m proud to live in California, which has been leading the way in AI legislation as of late. In recent months, California advanced several measures to improve digital safety and accountability in AI:

• • Senate Bill 243 sets new transparency and safety standards for AI chatbots, including special obligations when chatbots are used by children, and enables families to sue developers who don’t comply with the new regulations.
  • Governor Newsom signed into law the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act, which requires frontier AI developers to disclose safety protocols, protects whistleblowers, and establishes a new consortium to foster research and innovation that advances AI that is safe, ethical, equitable, and sustainable.

These steps move us closer toward safer-by-design products, greater transparency about how systems work, and stronger protections when things go wrong. These kinds of guardrails are not anti-innovation. They are pro-child. They help create a market where the default is safety, not risk. Such policies are essential as AI reaches younger audiences, while research into the long-term effects of AI on child development – especially in the first crucial years of a child’s life – are ongoing. 

For a deeper look at recent developments and what they mean for families, see our latest Policy Update.

September 2025 – Special Congress Edition

Reflections on the 2025 Digital Media and Developing Minds Congress

In July, Children and Screens convened its flagship gathering, the 2025 Digital Media and Developing Minds International Scientific Congress. Over four extraordinary days, I had the privilege of engaging with experts across disciplines, and learning from both early-career and established professionals all united in working toward a common goal: creating a healthier digital future for children. 

The sheer scope and breadth of the Congress was remarkable. More than 65 invited speakers and over 300 participants contributed to a dynamic program of panels, symposia, poster sessions, and collaborative discussions. The Tools and Methodologies Exhibition featured a dozen exhibitors sharing the latest tools and resources for capturing, measuring, and analyzing digital media use and its effects.

A particular highlight was the policymaker awards ceremony, where we recognized the bipartisan leadership of Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) with the Children and Screens Award for Leadership in Children’s Digital Well-Being, and recognized Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) with the Lifetime Advocate for Children’s Digital Privacy Rights Award. Their remarks underscored both the urgency of the challenges before us and the opportunities for principled, child-centered policymaking. 

This year’s Congress came at a pivotal moment of technological advancement – where progress in tech is developing faster than we can adapt and ensure that these developments aren’t coming at the cost of children’s well-being. Panels and symposia fostered discussions (and debate) on this current state of affairs, its implications for today’s (and tomorrow’s) youth, what research needs to be done, and what action can (and should) be taken. Video recordings of most sessions are available on the Children and Screens Youtube Channel.

Experts came together for 19 different breakout sessions on children’s digital well-being. Ten sessions identified research priorities, methods, and opportunities for translation. Nine sessions tackled broader challenges and strategic actions across research, policy, and practice. Read the full breakout summary report, highlighting key questions and priorities that emerged.

While it is impossible to capture every insight shared, the staff distilled a series of key takeaways that reflect overarching themes of the Congress. For those of you who weren’t able to attend, I encourage you to explore the daily snapshot videos, image gallery, and poster presentation repository, which highlight the depth and energy of the event. 

Above all, what impressed me the most was the sense of unity and shared purpose. Across  disciplines, professions, and perspectives, more than 300 participants came together, all committed to advancing science and solutions that safeguard children living in a digital world. The Congress truly bridged research and action, and I’m optimistic about the progress that will come from the connections, ideas, and collaborations sparked during these four days. 

On behalf of Children and Screens, I extend my heartfelt thanks to our sponsors, planning committee, and all those who made this Congress possible, including the many generous individual donors who support the Institute each year. Together we are moving the field forward and helping to secure a healthier future for children.

June 2025

As mid-summer fast approaches, also comes one of the most anticipated moments of our year here at Children and Screens: the 2025 Digital Media and Developing Minds International Scientific Congress, now just weeks away. From July 13-16 in Washington, DC, we’ll convene leading researchers, educators, clinicians, and policymakers from across disciplines and around the globe to explore the complex intersection between digital media and child development.

I’m particularly excited about the depth and diversity of this year’s Congress, our most expansive gathering yet. I look forward to delivering opening remarks and engaging with so many of you throughout the event. The Tools and Methodologies Exposition, featuring a dynamic mix of innovators and exhibitors, continues to grow, offering attendees a hands-on look at cutting-edge tools for measuring and understanding digital media’s effects on children and families. We are deeply grateful to our generous event sponsors, whose support helps make this convening possible. If you haven’t yet registered, now is the time. And don’t forget: the deadline to secure your discounted hotel room is June 20.

AI Regulation

While the Congress is a moment to look ahead, it’s also important to recognize the policy crossroads we currently face. Recent proposals to delay state regulation of AI technologies for the next decade raise significant concerns, particularly when it comes to safeguarding children’s well-being. The need for child-centered AI policies is a focus of the formal comments the Institute submitted to the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) National Coordination Office (NCO), outlining critical priorities for child-centered AI policy. In addition, I recently issued this statement regarding the importance of AI regulation more broadly.

Spring Webinar Series

May marked the end of our Spring season of the #AskTheExperts webinar series, which brought together thousands of viewers for six dynamic conversations. From AI in the classroom to youth culture online to digital parenting strategies and the impact of violent content on children, these sessions continue to spark dialogue and deepen public understanding. Planning is already underway for the Fall 2025 season and I can’t wait to share what’s in store.

Thank You to Our Donors

Finally, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to the Interdisciplinary Research Grants Program campaign. Your generosity helps us fund vital research that guides families, professionals, and policymakers in making evidence-based decisions to support children’s healthy development in a digital age.

April 2025

As we welcome the start of spring, I’m pleased to share several exciting updates from the Institute’s ongoing work in research translation, community education, and policy engagement.

First, as you probably know because we’ve been shouting it from the rooftops – our podcast, Screen Deep – which I’ve had the honor of hosting for twelve episodes – was named a nominee in the 29th Annual Webby Awards, in the highly competitive Science and Education (Podcasts) category. Screen Deep competed for both the Webby Award, determined by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, and the Webby People’s Voice Award, which was decided by public vote. Competition in this category was fierce – and while we didn’t bring home the award, it was truly a feather in our cap to have been recognized as one of the five best podcasts in the Science and Education field in the world. 

This recognition reflects the growing importance of science-based storytelling and the need to elevate rigorous research that supports children’s health and development in today’s digital world. It also speaks to the hard work of the Children and Screens team, whose dedication ensures every episode of Screen Deep is thoughtful, relevant, and grounded in evidence.

Last month, I had the privilege of delivering the keynote address for the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth’s 2025 Children’s Advocacy Days. This year’s theme, “Navigating the Digital Frontier,” resonated deeply with the work the Institute has led for over a decade. My presentation, now available to watch on YouTube, was part of a powerful program featuring respected partners, including Fairplay for kids, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, and Issue One. Together, we explored the urgent digital challenges young people face today and the policy solutions needed to address them.

Finally, I’m pleased to share that the recently published Handbook of Children and Screens: Digital Media, Development, and Well-Being from Birth Through Adolescence – to which many of our colleagues and partners contributed – was recently cited by Nature in their commentary on the research gaps across smartphones, social media, and adolescent mental health risks. Nature praised the handbook for its rigorous synthesis of thousands of studies examining how digital media shapes child development across domains. This acknowledgement highlights the monumental collaboration behind this landmark publication and the vital need for continued evidence-based dialogue in this field. 

We look forward to the months ahead and thank you for your continued support in our mission to support children, families, educators, and policymakers navigating the ever-evolving digital age. 

February 2025

The Institute’s Commitment to Research-Driven Resources

Technology is ubiquitous in our daily lives and in the lives of children, despite how little of it was designed with their well-being in mind. This raises critical questions about its impact on children’s health and development. With the emergence of new technologies such as generative AI and ever more sophisticated algorithms, the Institute remains dedicated to the completion and translation of rigorous, interdisciplinary research that addresses these questions. Innovative methodologies, validated research tools, and a collaborative approach that integrates diverse perspectives to deepen our understanding of what helps or harms children is crucial for their safety online.

Since our founding in 2013, Children and Screens has been dedicated to advancing research, fostering collaboration, supporting families, and informing policy that prioritizes children’s well-being. Today, more than ever, parents, educators, and policymakers need evidence-based, objective information to navigate the evolving digital landscape and make informed decisions about children’s media use. 

At the Institute, our mission is to help children lead healthy lives in a digital world. To do so, we must equip families and decision makers with the resources they need. We remain committed to advancing and disseminating high quality, research-backed insights that serve as the foundation for meaningful guidance, education, and policy.

January 2025

We’re certain that 2025 will be an action-packed year, not only for all of us here at Children and Screens but for kids and families as we all navigate the rapid rate of change in the technology sector. These changes can bring exciting opportunities and some real challenges. That’s why we’re more committed than ever to equipping families, caregivers, and policymakers with the resources they need to make thoughtful, informed decisions about digital well-being.

I’m thrilled to share some big plans with you.

Fourth Digital Media and Developing Minds Congress

Registration is now open for what promises to be a must-attend event in Washington, DC. This four-day conference will bring together top researchers, clinicians, educators, government representatives, and other experts to explore how digital media shapes the development of children and adolescents. Secure your spot with the early bird discount available until March 30, 2025. There are also numerous sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities available, both excellent ways to position your organization as a leader in this critical conversation.

Advancing Policy Recommendations

With a new Administration, and the 119th Congress in session, we know that there will be  debates over the fate of TikTok, potential social media bans for minors, discussions about cell phone bans in schools, and debates over how to regulate artificial intelligence. With all these important decisions, the stakes couldn’t be higher. This year, we’re focusing our policy work on three primary areas:

• • Advancing legislative reforms similar to KOSA and COPPA 2.0; 
  • Promoting transparency from platforms and supporting public interest research; and 
  • Strengthening regulatory frameworks to ensure effective enforcement of existing and new laws.

Check out our January 2025 Policy Update for more details on what’s happening and how we’re working to make a difference. 

Expanding Partnerships 

We’re excited to be partnering with leaders across public health, early childhood development, AI, business, and education to create practical, impactful solutions for children and families navigating the digital age. We’ve reached across aisles, rooms, and zooms to expand the number of groups and leaders dedicated to children’s online safety. Cutting-edge research fuels our team each day as we seek to create resources and recommendations for parents, providers, and youth anxious to live healthy lives in a digital world. School districts, healthcare systems, governors, and early childhood mental health experts are just a few of the groups we’ve supported over the past year as they work to put kids first.

Ongoing Initiatives

Our signature #AskTheExperts webinar series kicks off on February 5th with “Win-Win Parenting: Child Safety, Autonomy, and Family Harmony In the Digital Age.” We’ve got an exciting line-up for the spring, covering everything from loneliness and aggression to AI in education and strengthening parent-child relationships.

We’re also launching fresh episodes of our podcast Screen Deep. Season Two started with one of my personal heroes, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD, in a conversation dedicated to all things “Language Development, Learning, and Play.” Don’t miss it – listen here. And, of course, we continue to add to our robust library of educational content with new tip sheets, video shorts, and research-at-a-glance digests.

All of this work is made possible by your ongoing support and generosity. Together, we’re making 2025 another meaningful year in helping kids lead happy, healthy lives in a digital world. Thank you for being on this journey with us – we couldn’t do it without you!

October 2024

This Fall has already been a season of significant achievements for the Children and Screens team, marked by both action and reflection on our ongoing policy, research, and education efforts to help protect children’s health and well-being in our digital world.

I’m both honored and humbled to host our new podcast Screen Deep, where each conversation with a leading expert in the field has been both inspiring and educational. To date, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Marc Potenza, professor of psychiatry at Yale University, about the neuroscience of adolescent digital and behavioral addictions; Dr. Dimitri Christakis, Chief Science Officer at Children and Screens, pediatrician, and editor-in-chief of JAMA Pediatrics, about the implications of screen use in early childhood; Dr. Lauren Hale, sleep health researcher from Stony Brook University, about screen time and its relationship to sleep health; and Dr. Eva Telzer, professor of psychology and neuroscience at UNC Chapel Hill, about adolescent brain development and social media use.

I hope you find, as I have, that Screen Deep serves as a springboard for meaningful discussions based on rigorous research. You can find Screen Deep on all major platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music and iHeartRadio.

We’ve also seen progress in legislative efforts to protect children’s safety online. In September, the House Energy and Commerce Committee voted to advance the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0). With upcoming changes to the executive branch and Congress, we’re eager to continue building on the momentum with the next administration. (See the October 2024 Policy Update for more details.)

Earlier this month, the Institute announced a call for abstracts for the 2025 Digital Media and Developing Minds International Scientific Congress, July 13-16, 2025, in Washington, DC. We invite researchers to submit abstracts presenting new findings on the impact of digital media on child development. You can also view the Exhibitor and Sponsor Prospectus for exceptional visibility opportunities for your company or organization. I look forward to next year’s Congress  and the opportunity to learn from all of the exciting, new research. It’s always such an inspiring and energizing experience.

Additionally, our Fall 2024 #AskTheExperts webinar series is in full swing, covering topics including online safety, sexual exploitation, and ADHD and digital media use. And in case you missed it, we released a tip sheet, “Boys, Health, and Digital Media,” providing valuable insights and practical advice for parents and caregivers.

We are grateful to our generous donors and institutional supporters, whose contributions make all of this work possible. Your commitment allows us to continue advancing critical research, educational programs, and policy initiatives like these. Thank you for being an essential part of our mission to help kids lead healthy lives in a digital world and for empowering us to make a real difference.

August 2024

I’m pleased to share some of the exciting activities we have planned for the Fall. 

Our #AskTheExperts webinar series starts again in late August. Registration is open for our first #AskTheExperts webinar of the Fall 2024 season, “Safe Zone: Children and Online Safety” happening on Wednesday, August 28, at 12pm ET via Zoom. Other topics this season include Sexual Harassment, ADHD and Digital Media, Communication and Language Development in Early Childhood, Reality vs Fiction Online, and Digital Therapeutics.  

Get ready for the launch of our podcast featuring leading experts in digital media and child development to answer the big questions: How are kids really doing in the digital age? What insights have we gained and what are we learning about their development that may change how we understand and engage with them? Stay tuned for details!

Finally, planning is underway for the 4th Digital Media and Developing Minds Scientific International Congress, to be held July 13-16, 2025 in Washington, D.C. This multi-day event will gather leading experts from various disciplines to explore and address the critical impact of digital media on child development. Be sure to bookmark our website page and keep an eye on your inbox for important announcements and deadlines.