Over 250 leading researchers, non-profits, experts, clinicians and writers from neuroscience, cognitive and social psychology, child psychiatry, pediatrics, education and public health are participating in the Institute as members of interdisciplinary workgroups. These workgroups synthesized current knowledge and outlined a scientific framework for understanding and evaluating the broad impact of digital media on children (infants through adolescence). The workgroups represent the comprehensive range of topics that needs to be covered, varying from cyberbullying, addiction, violent digital media, food marketing, media multitasking through media law and regulation, and importantly: advice to parents, pediatricians, educators and policymakers.

Together, these groups will work to formulate a national agenda around issues concerning digital technology and child development.

The average American child is exposed to a tremendous number of marketing messages each year. When just considering exposure to televised messages, children between the ages of 2 to 18 see 13,000... Read more...

Of growing interest are the effects that emerging technologies and media have on cognitive trajectories through their influence on the developing central nervous system, learning and problem solving...Read more...

The Civic Engagement and Participatory Politics workgroup synthesizes current knowledge and outlines a scientific framework for understanding and evaluating the role of digital media in youth civic and political development... Read more...

Of growing interest are the effects that emerging technologies and media have on cognitive trajectories through their influence on the developing central nervous system, learning, problem solving... Read more...

The Cyberbullying Workgroup produces white papers examining unexplored areas of research on cyberbullying. These include the definition and operationalization of the term “cyberbullying,” which is currently overgeneralized;...Read more...

In today’s global culture and economy, where individuals have access to information 24/7 and literally, at their fingertips, digital and media literacy are essential to participate in society... Read more...

The Digital Media and Early Childhood Workgroup examines the current literature on young children's--from infancy to age eight--use of digital media and its likely impact on their development...Read more...

The Family and Parenting Workgroup is a collection of researchers in the fields of psychology, pediatrics, sociology, education, and communications who have focused their work on how digital media is used...Read more...

In ways unimaginable a generation ago, we are now using sophisticated technology for promoting and assessing health and well-being. Among the most exciting, potentially highly effective new ways to influence health... Read more...

Education represents probably the most common justification for providing digital resources and internet access to children the world over. Yet there does not yet exist robust evidence for the contexts... Read more...

Coming soon...Read more...

Nearly 36 million immigrant and minority children in the US live in diverse ethnical and racial environments due to inequalities in rising incomes. These children are likely to face digital inequality... Read more...

The Online and Gaming Addiction Workgroup will examine the research on what is colloquially called video game or Internet addiction in children and adolescents. It will summarize the existing research... Read more...

A key task of adolescence is to gain understanding of sexuality and one’s self as a sexual being. Over the past two decades, a great deal of evidence has accumulated linking adolescents’... Read more...

Young people are growing up in a ubiquitous 24/7 digital media environment, where mobile devices, social networks, interactive games, and online video have become ingrained in their personal and social lives... Read more...

American youth spend more time with media Than in any other activity: an average of 7.5 hr per day, every day of the week (Rideout et al., 2010). If the amount of time spent juggling multiple media streams... Read more...

We face a time in U.S. history where it is pivotal that we grow in our ability to foster progressive and peaceful interactions between members of different social groups. One need only tune into... Read more...

Violence in screen entertainment media (television, film, video games)—defined as depictions of characters (or players) trying to harm other characters (or players)— is ubiquitous. ...Read more...

The Obesity workgroup reviews the research literature on screen media exposure and obesity and physical activity and eating behaviors, and makes recommendations for future research and public policy... Read more...

The Media Policy Workgroup is comprised of children’s media and health experts who have sought to improve the media policy landscape for children over decades of legislative and regulatory advocacy work... Read more...

The pervasive use of digital media use among children and adolescents interferes with their sleep timing, duration, and quality. A recent poll by the National Sleep Foundation showed that 75% of U.S. children... Read more...

Adolescents and young adult are uniquely vulnerable to the effects of social media in particular and digital communication in general: they are at once early adopters, nearly ubiquitous users, and highly susceptible...Read more...

The growth in interactive media, and their exponential adoption by young people, is one indication of the compelling nature of these communication tools, especially for adolescents who are highly attuned to... Read more...]

For adolescents and young adults between the ages of 16 and 25, by far the most frequent causes of premature death are automobile accidents. This frequency is especially high among young drivers who have recently... Read more...

Pediatric interventions often aim at functional enhancements through reestablishing previously learned behavior patterns or establishing new patterns of activity. Recent advances in virtual reality...Read more...

This interdisciplinary workgroup is focused on how digital media relates to the general well-being and social development of children and adolescents. The aim of the group is to pool the expertise of... Read more...