EMPOWERING DIGITAL WELLNESS FOR KIDS | November 2024

Greetings Friend of the Lab,

AI-powered tools such as Voice Assistants and Generative AI (GenAI) are becoming deeply integrated into young people’s lives, shaping how they learn, create, and interact with the world. 

In our latest Pulse Survey: Optimism and Uncertainty – How Teens View and Use Artificial Intelligence, we explored how teens are navigating the many opportunities and challenges that come with using AI-enabled tools. 

Over 1,400 adolescents (ages 13-17) from across the US responded to a survey asking questions in three key areas:

1. How are teens using AI-powered tools like Voice Assistants and Generative AI? 
2. What are teens’ attitudes and perceptions surrounding these AI technologies? 
3. What knowledge, guidance, and instruction are teens currently receiving related to the use of AI? 

Explore our key takeaways and the full report to learn what we discovered, and what our takeaways indicate may be important to consider when creating guidelines and policies that empower adolescents to engage with AI tools in healthy and responsible ways.

All our best,

Cori Stott
Executive Director
The Digital Wellness Lab

We believe that by following the science, we can create an empathetic and respectful world in which our kids can grow up #healthy, #smart, and #kind.

Resources for Parents & Caregivers

Understanding How Children and Families are Using Voice Assistants and Generative AI

In this article, we share the key findings from our Pulse Survey: Use of Voice Assistants and Generative AI by Children And Families.

Read Post →

Tips for Teens: Safely Navigating the Complexities of the Online World

Alexandra, a 2024 Summer Teen Advisor at the Digital Wellness Lab, offers insights and advice to help her fellow teens stay safe online.

Read Post →

The Lab in the News

How GPS Tracking of Teens 24/7 Impacts Parent-Child Relationships Scientific American

At TwitchCon in San Diego, Online Gamers Share Their Mental Health Journeys Times of San Diego

Tips On Kids’ & Teens’ Screentime Little Day Out

From Our Fellow Travelers

Unpacking Grind Culture in American Teens: Pressure, Burnout, and the Role of Social Media Common Sense Media

Risks vs. Harms: Youth & Social Media danah boyd

How to create a healthy relationship between kids and social media CBS Morning featuring #HalftheStory’s Larissa May

Tech/Life Balance: Helping Families Thrive in a Digital World California Partners Project

Teen Snapshot: Young People Want to Feel Safe Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA

The Lab in Action

The Lab is sharing best practices and guidance on supporting balanced and productive technology for young people:

— Kaitlin Tiches and Nicole Powell joined Boston Children's Hospital's Office of Community Health grantees meeting to share the latest research from the field with leaders from youth-serving organizations in the greater Boston area.

— Dr. Mike Tsappis met with the Metro-North Transition Task Force to dive into media and technology topics for educators who are working to transition youth with special needs. 

— Dr. Michael Rich will be featured on the Chat About Children video interview series to support practitioners in accessing the information and resources they need to provide for the wellbeing of children around the nation.

— Dr. David Bickham and Cori Stott will be at the annual FOSI Annual Conference, where Cori will be moderating a panel, "Online to Offline: Empowering Users to Safely Navigate Digital Spaces" — featuring speakers from Uber, Snap, and the National Network to End Domestic Violence; and David will share practical tips, tools and advice on a panel, “Parenting in a Dynamic Digital World.”

— Dr. Michael Rich will be presenting his perspectives on the impacts media has on children’s mental and physical health at the Baystate Grand Rounds, and the 13th Annual Advancing Integration of Care Conference, co-produced by Atrius Health and Boston Children's Hospital.

— Dr. Keneisha Sinclair-McBride will be presenting a plenary session titled "Black Girl Magic and Digital Wellness in the Influencer Age" at the Dying to be Beautiful Symposium in Kingston, Jamaica. This conference focuses on body image, eating behaviors, and overall health in the Caribbean and will feature presentations by a number of Lab team members and Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Health colleagues.

— Cori Stott and summer research intern Zoë Kronberg will be attending the Youth Leadership Institute’s Healthy Online Platforms for Everyone (HOPE) General Coalition, a convening where youth, adults, youth-serving organizations and prevention leaders come together and strategize how to build safe online spaces for youth.

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