Screen Deep

From parent and school restrictions on smartphone use to the design of the latest AI tools, what does it mean to center children’s own perspectives and rights in ensuring safety in their online worlds? On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry sits down with Sonia Livingstone, Professor at the London School of Economics and leader of the Digital Futures for Children centre and the Five Rights Foundation, to explore the inters...

How are screen-based reading and writing, along with the growing use of generative AI by youth, shaping children’s development of foundational literacy skills? On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry explores these nuanced questions with Dr. Naomi Baron, Professor Emerita of Linguistics at American University and a leading expert on reading and writing with technology. Dr. Baron outlines how reading and writing look differe...

The relationship between social media use and adolescent mental health issues like anxiety is complex, and researchers continue to probe the mechanisms and causalities that may be involved in this relationship. In this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry talks with Dr. Sarah Myruski, Assistant Research Professor of Psychology at Pennsylvania State University about recent neuroimaging findings that indicate an important role for...

Boredom is a common and frequently misunderstood psychological state for adults and children alike. On this episode, host Kris Perry goes deep with leading boredom researcher James Danckert, PhD, a Professor of Neuroscience at University of Waterloo. Dr. Danckert explains the unique neural state of boredom, dispels both positive and negative myths about it, and explains how boredom is distinct from other feelings. Sharing research ...

Parents and caregivers today face what can feel like momentous and fraught decisions about how and when to introduce new technology to children — whether that be an iPad for a toddler or a smartphone for a tween. In this special episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry talks with a leading voice on digital parenting and youth development, Dr. Jenny Radesky. 

A Professor of Pediatrics at University of Michigan Medical School and co-Me...

Rapid advances in artificial intelligence systems continue to be deployed rapidly for use in commonly available tools online.  How do today’s AI technologies affect children’s development? Will accessible AI tools erode children’s critical thinking skills? Will chatbots disrupt children’s ability to socialize properly?

On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry explores these timely questions with Dr. Ying Xu, Assistant Profess...

Neurodivergent children’s relationships with technology is subject to many common myths and misconceptions: Does digital media use cause ADHD? Do children with autism have more affinity for screens? 

In this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry and Dr. Meryl Alper, Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Northeastern University, address these myths and what her research on digital media and neurodivergent youth can tell u...

Social media platforms are feeding youth harmful content—fast. From hate speech to pro-eating disorder posts and disinformation, powerful algorithms push dangerous content straight to children. But why? And what can be done to stop it? 

On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry talks with Imran Ahmed, founder and CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, about the hidden dangers of social media algorithms, the risks youth...

The majority of today’s adolescents are video gaming - for many, daily. How much gaming is too much ? Are violent video games actually harmful to children? 

On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry sits down with Dr. Douglas Gentile, a Distinguished Professor at Iowa State University and renowned video gaming expert. Dr. Gentile discusses the latest  research on which aspects of gaming can affect child health and development,...

How has social media changed the way teens socialize and interact - and is it affecting their mental health?

On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry sits down with researcher and Chief of Psychology of the American Psychological Association Mitch Prinstein, PhD, ABPP. Dr. Prinstein describes his research on popularity and likeability in adolescence, and how social media factors into these social dynamics. He also ...

Learning language involves much more than memorizing the ABCs. How do babies and toddlers acquire language and how can parents and caregivers foster its optimal development? 

On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry is joined by renowned child development researcher Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD, to discuss children’s language development, learning, and play in the digital age. Dr. Hirsh-Pasek emphasizes the importance of social int...

How does adolescents’ use of digital media , particularly of image-based social media platforms, influence and amplify their body image concerns?

On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry engages in a compelling conversation with Dr. Jason Nagata, a distinguished researcher and a pediatrician, to explore the complex relationship between digital media use and adolescents’ physical and mental health.  Dr. Nagata sheds...

When a young child watches TV or uses a digital tablet are they able to learn from what they see? What are the effects of media use on the development of attentional networks?

On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry talks to Dr. Heather Kirkorian about how digital media impacts learning, cognition, and attention in young children. Dr. Kirkorian describes the developmental milestones that allow for learning from di...

Introducing the Screen Deep podcast - where we go on deep dives with leading experts to decode child and adolescent brains and behavior in a digital world.

For more resources and research on this topic visit the Learn and Explore section of the Children and Screens website (https://www.childrenandscreens.org)

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Parents worried about child media use may not be aware that their own media use patterns at home may be significantly affecting their children.

In this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry discusses “technoference” – the interference of technology in relationships – with the researcher who coined that term, Dr. Brandon McDaniel. 

Dr. McDaniel shares results from his work on how parent device use can affect rel...

Concern about youth digital addiction is a relatively recent but significant addition to the list of common worries for parents of adolescents in the past few decades. What exactly is digital addiction, and how does it relate to other forms of addiction such as gambling and substance-use disorders?
On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry sits down with Marc Potenza, MD, PhD, to discuss his pioneering research on Interne...

Adolescence  is an exciting period of life shaped by risks, rewards, and rapid changes in the brain. On this episode of Screen Deep, we explore how adolescent brains affect and are affected by their digital media use with Eva Telzer, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and  Co-Director of the Winston National Center on Technology Use, Brain, and Psychological Development.

Sleep is an essential part of life, and the quality and quantity of a person’s nightly sleep has wide-ranging impacts on cognition, behavior, and health. On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry discusses children and teens’ sleep and its relationship to digital media with Dr. Lauren Hale, Professor of Family, Population, and Preventative Medicine at Stony Brook University and Founding Editor in Chief of the Sleep Health Jou...

On this inaugural episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry interviews Dimitri Christakis, MD, MPH, about his decades of experience investigating the impact of screens in early childhood, from baby videos to tablet apps.

Drawing on his experience as a leading researcher, pediatrician, and parent, Dimitri shares both historical and recent findings on screen use among very young children, particularly its possible uses for ea...