Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development announced the launch of the Children and Screens Evidence Council, a new initiative designed to provide clear, evidence-based guidance on some of the most urgent and debated questions surrounding children, adolescents, and digital media.
The Evidence Council is composed of researchers and clinicians from Children and Screens’ National Scientific Advisory Board, representing diverse disciplines across child development, psychology, neuroscience, pediatrics, public health, and education. Council members will serve two-year terms and participate on a voluntary basis.
The Council’s primary output will be concise, vote-based evidence statements that reflect where expert consensus exists—and where it does not—on major issues affecting children’s digital lives. These positions are intended to help parents, educators, policymakers, journalists, and technology leaders better understand what the science does and does not yet show.
“Public conversations about children and technology often demand simple answers, but the science is complex,” said Kris Perry, Executive Director of Children and Screens. “The Evidence Council is designed to meet that tension head-on, offering clarity grounded in research and clinical experience, while remaining transparent about uncertainty and areas where evidence is still emerging.”
Each Evidence Council position will summarize:
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- The question under consideration
- How Council members voted based on the current evidence and their individual expertise
- Key scientific considerations informing those votes
Individual Council members’ profiles are be published on the Children and Screens website, allowing audiences to understand the expertise behind the Council’s work and to follow members’ contributions over time.
Importantly, the Evidence Council does not advocate for specific policies or products. Instead, it serves as an independent, non-partisan resource focused on translating scientific and clinical evidence into clear public understanding.
“Our goal is not to oversimplify,” Perry added, “but to help people navigate complexity with confidence, knowing where the evidence is strong, where it is mixed, and where more research is needed.”
The Children and Screens Evidence Council builds on the Institute’s longstanding role as an independent convener of interdisciplinary experts and a trusted source of evidence-based guidance on children’s digital well-being.
More information about the Evidence Council, including member profiles is available at www.childrenandscreens.org.
About Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development
Children and Screens is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to advancing and supporting research, informing policy, and educating the public about children’s digital media use and its impact on cognitive, psychological, social, behavioral, and physical development.