EMPOWERING DIGITAL WELLNESS FOR KIDS | January 2026
Dear Friend of the Lab,
In the video games many young people play, avatars have become central to how kids express themselves in virtual spaces. But what happens when a young person customizes their digital character? What does it mean for their identity, their wellbeing, and their wallets?
Our latest research brief, Young People’s Use of Avatars and Virtual Character Customization, explores these questions. The findings reveal a nuanced picture: avatars can be a powerful tool for self-expression and identity exploration, particularly for transgender and gender-diverse youth who find them a powerful tool to affirm who they are. At the same time, intense avatar identification may signal underlying mental health concerns, and the monetization tactics surrounding customization raise real questions about how we protect young people from manipulative design.
As it often does, the research points to a “both/and” reality rather than simple conclusions. Young people place genuine value in their digital collections and customization choices, even as they recognize when game mechanics feel unfair. Understanding these experiences can help parents, educators, and content designers support kids in creating affirming, healthy, and safe experiences online.
If you know someone who might benefit from these insights, please share this newsletter and encourage them to subscribe.
Toward a healthy digital future,
Cori Stott Executive Director The Digital Wellness Lab
There’s still time to join the Center for Educational Excellence & Innovation at Boston Children's Hospital on February 4 for a CME intensive on Problematic Interactive Media Use (PIMU). This virtual course is available live or on-demand for six weeks, and offers 4.0 CME credits and is specifically designed for physicians, nurses, PAs, psychologists, and social workers.
Where Teens Find Belonging: Connection and Support in Online and Offline Spaces, our latest Pulse Survey of nearly 1,600 U.S. adolescents, reveals that online and offline belonging are deeply interconnected, and that digital spaces extend rather than replace in-person connection.
Visiting scholar and pediatric fellow, Dr. Fadlallah advocates that healthy digital habits are about creating realistic structures that encourage active and purposeful engagement, while still leaving room for offline play, creativity, rest and even boredom.
The Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join our team in Summer 2026—for a fully funded role investigating the intersection of adolescent video gaming, social connection, and family dynamics.
Based in Boston, this position offers a world-class environment for translational research focused on the functional impacts of digital media on youth development.
The arrival of the new year is already unfolding as a season of incredible opportunity for meaningful connections and conversations.
Here’s where you’ll find the Digital Wellness Lab in February:
Kaitlin Tiches will be in Washington D.C. to join the SAFE AI Companions Task Force, a global collective of educators, researchers, and advocates dedicated to ensuring that AI companions in education are developed and used safely, ethically, and effectively.
Dr. Michael Rich is traveling to Italy for the Learning More Festival, where he will deliver a session titled “Family Digital Wellness: Raising Healthy Children in a Screen-Filled World.” This international festival explores the frontiers of learning and human development.
Cori Stott will participate in the Aspen Institute’s convening, Teens & Screens: Safety, Belonging, and Growing Up Online. This event brings together youth, parents, and policymakers to move past the headlines to focus on actionable, evidence-based solutions to help young people thrive.
Our 2025-2026 Student Advisory Council will be joined by a distinguished panel of clinical experts from Boston Children’s Hospital to explore the evolving landscape of mental health careers.
Dr. Rich continues his international tour at the American School of London, delivering a series of presentations for parents and teachers based on his book, The Mediatrician’s Guide. These sessions take a “whole-child” approach that is focused on empowerment, rather than fear—helping families navigate screen time with practical, actionable advice.
School Wellbeing Program Grant
Are you working on mental health, belonging, or social-emotional learning?
Last year, California's Department of Healthcare Services provided GiveThx a grant to scale its research-validated approach to support student and staff mental health and SEL. 80% of reporting schools saw improvement in attendance or chronic absenteeism. After overwhelming demand from schools representing 300,000+ students and staff around the country, our partner organizations are supporting us to expand this opportunity nationwide with a new cohort of schools.
We're opening up a brief application process for 100 school/district spots for the 26-27 school year. Recipients will receive GiveThx’s School Wellbeing Program for students and staff, fully grant-funded. This is an opportunity for each selected school to dramatically strengthen school community, mental health, and belonging.
Here is a 1-pager with more information and a link to a 10 minute application. This opportunity is available to schools who have not previously received a GiveThx grant. Please review our application materials and apply for the grant before booking a meeting.The application deadline is June 30.Acceptances will be on a rolling basis until resources are exhausted. We hope you apply.
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All information included in this newsletter is for educational purposes only. For medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your health care provider.
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