Dr. Pamela Hurst-Della Pietra (pam@childrenandscreens.com) is the founder and president of Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development, a nonprofit organization stimulating a dialogue on the impact of digital media on toddlers, children, and adolescents. 

What does the future hold for children and technology?

We asked Dr. Cassell to open and frame the Digital Media and Developing Minds Congress by presenting insights into two general questions of broad interest. First, based on her extensive knowledge of current and emerging technologies, which ones are most strongly defining children’s media environments today and near-term? Second, in light of that assessment, what future technologies does she expect will re-shape children’s lives, how, and when? This fascinating talk will provide the audience with a shared starting point for their own conversations during the days that follow.

PRESENTER: Justine Cassell, PhD, Human-Computer Interaction Institute, Carnegie Mellon University

A developmental lens will be employed to examine the state of research on the growing exposure of infants, toddlers and preschoolers to an array of digital media. Current knowledge gaps regarding the impact such exposure has on early cognitive and social-emotional development and learning will be explored as will promising directions for future research to address these gaps.

PRESENTER: James A. Griffin, PhD, Deputy Chief, Child Development and Behavior Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH)

This panel will address the current state and future directions of science related to young children’s use of media.

MODERATOR: Dimitri A. Christakis, MD, MPH, University of Washington; Seattle Children’s Institute

PANELISTS

Rachel Barr, PhD, Georgetown Early Learning Project, Georgetown University

Sarah Coyne, PhD, Department of Family Life, Brigham Young University

Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek, PhD, Infant Language Laboratory, Temple University

Our digital world today is driven by its youth: members of the Generation Z who invented the selfie, created meme culture, and redefined the power of social media. To truly understand digital media and the way it’s impacting adolescents born into an era of technological growth, we need a teen perspective. In this keynote, 18-year old Harvard University student and budding social scientist Trisha Prabhu explores our society’s connection to digital media, its consequences for young people, and what it all means for the future of social media and digital interaction.

PRESENTER: Trisha Prabhu, ReThink; Student at Harvard University

This panel examined the intersection of digital media and interpersonal relationships from a variety of research perspectives including the behavioral and neurological impact of social media on teens and preteens, intimate adolescent digital relationships, and the impact of texting on relationships.

MODERATOR: Jennifer Stevens Aubrey, PhD, The University of Arizona

PANELISTS

— Larry Rosen, PhD, California State University, Dominguez Hills

—Linda Charmaraman, PhD, Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College

—Emily Weinstein, EdD, Postdoctoral Fellow at Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education

This panel will explore impact of social media habits on child and adolescent mental health, including depression and suicidality. Researchers and clinicians will review the current state of research knowledge as well as needed areas of future research, study tools and methodologies.

SPEAKERS

— Paul Weigle, MD, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Natchaug Hospital

—Thomas Joiner, PhD, Laboratory for the Study and Prevention of Suicide-Related Conditions and Behaviors, Florida State University

—Ethan Kross, PhD, Emotion and Self Control Lab, University of Michigan

How can young people’s love for digital media like texting, YouTube videos, apps, and social media be used to promote healthy behaviors? Whether the topic is vaping, the opioid epidemic, suicide prevention, safer sex, anxiety, or obesity, what are the most effective ways to leverage digital media as part of health promotion campaigns aimed at youth? This panel includes fresh data about teens’ use of digital health information and tools; examples of innovative uses of digital media for health promotion; an exploration of the role of e-health literacy as an important component of digital literacy; and a review of the methodological challenges involved in evaluating the effectiveness of digital health campaigns.

MODERATOR: Vicky Rideout, MA, VJR Consulting

PANELISTS

— Jennifer Manganello, PhD, MPH, School of Public Health, University at Albany

—Michele Ybarra, PhD, MPH, Center for Innovative Public Health Research, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

—Sherry Emery, PhD, The National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago

Today’s information landscape is the most complicated and interconnected in human history. As students enter this ecosystem at younger and younger ages, they are engulfed by a rushing flood of information that they are not equipped to sort and evaluate. This session will address current research into the spread of misinformation (especially on social media), information consumption habits of young people, and efforts underway to teach students the evaluation skills that will enable them to become critical consumers of news and other information and to know how to sort fact from fiction in what they read, watch and hear every day.

SPEAKER: John Silva, MEd, NBCT, The News Literacy Project

The panel will discuss the potential impact of emerging technologies like virtual reality, augmented reality, virtual assistants, and social robots on children and adolescents. Panelists will present their cutting-edge research to provide insights and best practices as they relate to child development.

MODERATOR: Jakki Bailey, PhD, School of Information, University of Texas at Austin

PANELSITS:

— Patricia Greenfield, PhD, Children’s Digital Media Center, University of California Los Angeles

— Rachel Severson, PhD, The Minds Laboratory, University of Montana

— Mark Mon Williams, PhD, University of Leeds School of Psychology, UK

This panel will explore the state of the field of cyberbullying. What are the challenges facing the field? What programs exist, which programs appear to be effective, and what elements work best with youth?

MODERATOR: Elizabeth Englander, PhD, Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center, Bridgewater State University

PANELISTS

— Dorothy Espelage, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Florida

— Sara Konrath, PhD, Interdisciplinary Program on Empathy and Altruism Research, Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy

— Tijana Milosevic, PhD, Department of Media and Communication, University of Oslo, Norway

This panel of experts will discuss many of the current best practices in the study of media violence. These include neuroimaging and meta-analysis, as well as what we now know not to do.

MODERATOR: Douglas Gentile, PhD, Media Research Lab, Iowa State University

PANELSITS

— Craig Anderson, PhD, Center for the Study of Violence, Iowa State University

— Sandra Calvert, PhD, Children’s Media Center, Georgetown University

— Tom Hummer, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine

“Environmental Risk, Screen Time, and Developmental Health: Examining Pathways of Association” — Dillon Browne, Psychology, University of Waterloo, Canada

“Social Media Self­-Objectification: Associations with Adolescents’ Body Image and Mental Health” — Sophia Choukas-Bradley, Psychology, University of Pittsburgh

“An Assessment of Digital Media-­related Admissions in Psychiatrically Hospitalized Adolescents” — Meredith Gansner, Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance

“Screen Time and Developmental Outcomes in Early Childhood: Investigating Direction of Effects with a Cross­-Lag Panel Analysis” — Sheri Madigan, Psychology, University of Calgary, Canada

“Family Level Assessment of Screen Use in the Home (FLASH): Development of an Automatic and Objective Assessment of Children’s Screen Use Across Platforms” — Teresia O’Connor, Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine

“Reduction of screen media viewing and increase in socially oriented activities in young children with ASD: A pilot study” — Karen Helffer, Ophthalmology, Drexel University College of Medicine

“Will Replacing Screen-­Based Sedentary Behaviours with Reading Influence Health and Behavioural Outcomes of Students in Grades 5­-12?” — Travis Saunders, Applied Human Sciences, University of Prince Edward Island, Canada

“High Toddler Touchscreen Use is Associated with Neural and Behavioural Differences in Attention Processing” — Tim Smith, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, London, UK

“Choose Your Own Adventure: Motivational Interviewing for Online Addictions” — Clifford Sussman, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist; George Washington University, Washington, DC

Various imaging modalities have been used to probe the molecular and functional characteristics of the brain in patients who suffer from addictions. These studies have shown that addictive behaviors involve profound depletions of dopamine in key regions of the cortico-basal ganglia circuitry, and changes in the function of these circuits. We will discuss the knowledge gained from these studies of substance use disorders and the emerging evidence from studies of internet addictions, to draw parallels between these conditions and outline future directions for research in this relatively newer disorder.

PRESENTER: Anissa Abi-Dargham, M.D. Department of Psychiatry, Stony Brook University

The internet has changed many aspects of people’s lives, and this may be particularly relevant for individuals having been raised as “digital natives.” While there are many positive aspects of internet use, certain types and patterns of internet use may lead to significant problems at school or work, in relationships and other areas of life functioning. This panel will explore the topic of how best to identify, screen for, assess and diagnose internet use problems relating to gaming and other behaviors. The topics of how internet use behaviors and disorders were considered in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) and the eleventh edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) will be discussed, as will ongoing efforts to refine approaches to promote healthy development and improve public health in a rapidly changing digital environment.

MODERATOR: Marc Potenza, PhD, MD, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine

PANELISTS

— Guilherme Borges, ScD, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatria, Mexico

— Matthias Brand, PhD, Cognition Department, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany

— Hans-Jürgen Rumpf, PhD, Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Germany

This panel will discuss and explore the latest methodologies to treat screen-related issues. The panelists will examine the latest research related to the neurophysiological impacts of screens and what approaches the members of the panel have discovered to be the most effective – and why.

MODERATOR: Nicholas Kardaras, PhD, LCSW-R, Launch House Digital Detox & Wellness Center and Maui Recovery

PANELISTS

— Hilarie Cash, PhD, LMHC, reSTART Center for Digital Technology Sustainability

— Young-Sam Koh, PhD, College of General Education, Tongmyong University

— Klaus Wölfling, PhD, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany

— Kimberly Young, PhD, Center for Internet Addiction Recovery; St. Bonaventure University

Numerous experiments have found a causal link between exposure to violent media and aggression, both inside and outside of the lab. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have found a link between exposure to media violence and violent behavior, including violent criminal behavior. Exposure to violent media is not the only risk factor for aggressive and violent behavior, but it is an important one.

PRESENTER: Brad Bushman, PhD, School of Communication, The Ohio State University

In this panel, four scholars will discuss the short and long-term impact of digital media use on children and adolescents’ physical development, with a specific focus on study tools and methodologies. The expert panel will briefly describe what we know about how digital media use among youth affects orthopedic issues, vision, sleep and obesity. Each scholar will also present on methodological approaches and new research directions.

MODERATOR: Lauren Hale, PhD, Department of Family, Population, and Preventive Medicine, Stony Brook University Medicine

PANELISTS

— Cordelia Carter, MD, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, NYU School of Medicine

— Monique LeBourgeois, PhD, Sleep and Development Laboratory, University of Colorado Boulder

— Thomas Robinson, MD, MPH, Solutions Science Lab, Stanford University

— Karla Zadnik, PhD, OD, College of Optometry, Ohio State University

This session will delve into large national studies of children and families, and explore the advantages and disadvantages of different study designs and methodologies, the media- and technology-related factors that influence children’s health and well-being, and opportunities for researchers to access existing datasets.

PANELISTS

— Courtney Blackwell, PhD, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program

— Michael Robb, PhD, Common Sense Media

— Lindsay Squeglia, PhD, Medical University of South Carolina, Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study

“Screen Media Activity and Brain Structure in Youth: Evidence for Diverse Structural Correlation Networks from the ABCD Study” — Florence Breslin, Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa

“Effect of Independent Digital Reading on Primary Graders’ Reading Comprehension: A Longitudinal Study” — Kathleen Roskos, Education & School Psychology, John Carroll University

“WIRED: The Impact of Media and Technology Use on Stress (Cortisol) and Inflammation (Interleukin IL-6) in Fast Paced Families” — Nicole Zamanzadeh, Communication, University of California, Santa Barbara

Dr. Gazzaley presents his latest perspectives on the difficulties we humans are currently facing in terms of our attention, perception, creativity, emotional regulation and compassion. What he refers to as a Cognition Crisis. Anxiety, depression, attention and memory deficits affect a half a billion people around the world with an economic toll in the trillions. And these numbers are rising, notably in our children. The relationship of this crisis to modern technology is becoming clearer. He concludes with a discussion of potential solutions using modern day technology.

PRESENTER: Adam Gazzaley, PhD, MD, Neuroscape, University of California San Francisco

Panelists will speak about the most current research on how media use is related to cognition: the impact of media multitasking, attention, executive functioning, long and short-term memory, and other aspects of developing mental processes. The panel will then discuss research-informed guidance on how to responsibly use media and technology.

MODERATOR: Melina Uncapher, PhD, Education Program at Neuroscape, University of California San Francisco

PANELISTS

— Susanne Baumgartner, PhD, Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam

— Daphne Bavelier, PhD, Brain and Learning Laboratory, University of Geneva, Switzerland

— Steve Lee, PhD, ADHD and Development Laboratory, University of California Los Angeles

Technology is destabilizing the world: exploiting the finite limits and vulnerabilities of the human mind and eroding our capacity to address our global challenges. Tristan Harris, Co-Founder of The Center for Humane Technology, will illuminate the existential threat posed by technology and share a framework for addressing this critically important challenge.

PRESENTER: Tristan Harris, PhD, The Center for Humane Technology

An increasing number of schools are allowing cell phones in class and public spaces. Other schools are implementing bans on their use. Recently, France’s ban on mobile phones at schools took effect. What are the factors against or supporting the continued use of cell phones in the classroom? What is the evidence-based research on this topic?

MODERATOR: Eric Dubow, PhD, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; Bowling Green State University

PANELISTS

— Arnold Glass, PhD, Rutgers University

— Madeleine George, PhD, Purdue University

Panelists will discuss: (1) the learning science on the promise of digital technology in the classroom, including for self-directed learning, engagement, personalization, digital literacy, and more; (2) the social context driving the increased adoption of technology, including the interests of big tech companies and mandates on districts to both keep up with the times and do more with less; and (3) the reality (i.e., where theory meets practice), including unintended consequences of digital technology in the classroom.

MODERATOR: Anya Kamenetz, Education Correspondent for National Public Radio

PANELISTS

— Richard Halverson, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education

— Carolyn Heinrich, PhD, Peabody College of Education and Human Development and College of Arts and Sciences, Vanderbilt University

— Paul Hambleton, MA, Educator; Maine Department of Education

In this talk, Dr. Egelman will describe recent research results about the privacy implications of children’s mobile apps: how they collect personal data, with whom they share it, and the pervasive tracking that occurs across apps and devices. Over half of the apps that his group has examined may even be violating federal law. Given that these practices are not widely known to consumers and companies go to great lengths to conceal them, parents are not left with many choices to preserve their kids’ privacy.

PRESENTER: Serge Egelman, PhD, International Computer Science Institute; University of California Berkeley