Screen Deep

The rise of AI is often presented as an opportunity to make parenting easier, but what happens when technology begins to replace, rather than support, the human interactions children need most?  On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry dives into this timely question with Dr. Dana Suskind, Founder and Co-Director of the TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health and author of the book, H...

The rise of influencers has changed the conversation around advertising, marketing, and behavior change in adults as well as children. How do influencers and their sponsored content impact children’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors? On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry interviews Dr. Liselot Hudders, Professor of Marketing Ethics at Ghent University, to unpack her research on how infl...

Children today are inundated with sophisticated marketing and ads online, particularly for unhealthy foods which can contribute to obesity and other negative health impacts. On this episode of Screen Deep , host Kris Perry is joined by food policy expert and leader in the fight against childhood obesity Dr. Kelly Brownell to discuss the ways in which this “toxic food environment” impacts children’...

For decades, researchers have studied why babies and young children learn differently from screens than they do from real-world experiences. On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry is joined by Dr. Rachel Barr, Professor of Psychology at Georgetown University and a leading expert in early childhood and digital media. Dr. Barr describes why it’s difficult for young children to learn from di...

As courts increasingly examine the impact of social media on young people, new legal approaches are beginning to reshape how responsibility for harms are understood, shifting the focus from content to platform design. On this special episode of Screen Deep , host Kris Perry speaks with Matthew Bergman, founding attorney of the Social Media Victims Law Center, professor of Lewis & Clark Law Sch...

How is digital media use rewiring children’s brains – and how can these impacts be measured? In this episode of Screen Deep , host Kris Perry discusses the latest research on screen use and brain development with Dr. Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education in Science and Technology and the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technol...

How do online environments shape children’s health and well-being? Which features have the biggest impact, and how can we make sense of the very different ways individual children experience the same digital world? On this episode of Screen Deep , host Kris Perry discusses new research into this “digital exposome” with Dr. Ran Barzilay, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsy...

AI “friends” and companions are increasingly providing children and adolescents with social interactions and perceived “relationships,” despite being a technology that itself has no need for empathy or emotional reciprocity. What are the costs of attachment to these AI products to children and adolescents’ social skill development?    On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry is joined by Dr...

Schools are increasingly deploying AI-powered technologies in classrooms that promise to revolutionize education, yet there is growing concern over the risks to children and adolescents’ learning by doing so. What do children, adolescents, and teachers think about how AI is being used in the classroom, and do these technologies actually impact learning and key cognitive skill development? In this...

Children are increasingly encountering AI characters for both educational and entertainment purposes, but many of the chatbots and other AI products they interact with are not designed with child development and safety in mind. On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry pulls back the curtain on AI and child-centered design with Dr. Sonia Tiwari, a children’s media researcher and AI design ex...

What is the social cost of looking at your phone when in the company of other people? Is smartphone and social media use making us less connected, more lonely, and addicted to the endless videos on our feed? On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry discusses the ways people are becoming more attached to their phones and less connected to others with Dr. Meredith David, Associate Professor o...

A child’s first smartphone is a modern "rite of passage" and today's parents face a challenging decision – when is the right time? Peer pressure and fear of missing out loom heavily, yet there are significant risks to introducing a smart device before a child is ready. On this episode of Screen Deep , host Kris Perry talks with psychologist and creator of iParent101, Dr. Adam Plette...

Should phones be allowed in the classroom? On this episode of Screen Deep , host Kris Perry talks with Dr. Abraham Flanigan, an associate professor of educational psychology at Georgia Southern University about what phones actually do to attention, memory, and classroom climate. Drawing on his research on digital distraction, Dr. Flanigan sheds light on what teachers and students really think, wha...

Parents increasingly recognize how family screen time shapes child development. But that awareness can bring guilt or shame when digital devices creep into daily life. On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry talks with Dr. Lara Wolfers, a leading researcher on how stress and guilt intersect with family media use, and Assistant Professor of Digital Lives and Head of the Center of Digital Li...

Social development for today’s youth often includes navigating online social cruelty, such as cyberbullying and non-consensual sexting. On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry is joined by cyberbullying expert Dr. Elizabeth Englander, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State University, to discuss her research on teens’ online social behavior...

Many people think of mental health disorders as arising later in childhood or adolescence. However, there is increasing evidence that even young children can experience mental health problems like anxiety and depression. On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry is joined by Joan Luby, a Professor of Child Psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine and an expert in early childhoo...

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 Right...

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 h...

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...

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 fr...

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...

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 question...

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...

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 soci...

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...