Children and Screens

ADHD WORKGROUP MEMBERS

Harold Koplewicz, MD
Founding President,
Child Mind Institute

 

Patti Valkenburg, Ph.D.
FDistinguished University Professor of Media, Youth and Society, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands

 

 

 

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 to 30,000 commercials each year (Gantz, Schwartz, Angelini, & Rideout, 2007). That number excludes the marketing messages that children see in other settings including those seen in online settings, in movies, on radio, in print, within videogames, on billboards, and even in schools. This level of exposure is of significant concern to children and advertising researchers, as there are serious questions regarding children’s vulnerability to marketing messages, particularly in contexts where there is less parental/policy oversight. (e.g., advergames). Moreover, with possible links between food marketing exposure and chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes, the potential public health impact of specific marketing practices requires careful study. The Children and Marketing Working Group is taking a close examination of the short and long-term effects of marketing communication particularly within both developmental contexts and in newer media formats. We are also looking at how to protect children through advertising literacy programs or through the use of marketing techniques to encourage protective behaviors.

ADVERTISING AND MARKETING WORKGROUP MEMBERS

WORKGROUP CHAIR

Matthew Lapierre, Ph.D.
Professor, Communication,
Advertising and Marketing
University of Arizona

 

Esther Rosendaal Ph.D.
Lecturer, Persuasive Communications,
Radboud Universiteit

 

Anna McAlister, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor,
Department of Advertising and Public Relations,
Michigan State University

 

Jennifer Harris, Ph.D.

Director of Marketing Initiatives,
University of Connecticut,
Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity

Frances Fleming-Milici, Ph.D.
Research Associate,
University of Connecticut,
Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity

 

Jessica Castonguay Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Instruction,
Department of Advertising,
Temple University

 

 

The Emotional Impact group focuses on effects of digital entertainment and digital communication (texting, social media) on symptoms of anxiety and depression in children and adolescents. There are several areas of focus. One involves examining fear reactions to content of digital entertainment (including television, movies, and other media) and the effects on emotional health (such as fearful avoidance, sleep disturbances, and lingering fears). A second area of focus concerns anxiety and depression caused by the growing use of social media sites exacerbating negative social comparison and self-evaluation, and substituted digital communication potentially resulting a lack of emotion regulation skills. A third area relates to a potential increase in social anxiety and phobic avoidance secondary to substituted digital media use (rather than face-to-face). A fourth and final area examines ways that young people may use a variety of digital media to cope with depression and the effectiveness of these strategies.

ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION WORKGROUP MEMBERS

WORKGROUP CO-CHAIRS

 

Elizabeth Hoge, MD
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry,
Georgetown University Medical Center

 

Joanne Cantor, Ph.D.
Outreach Director of the Center
for Communication Research,
University of Wisconsin-Madison

 

MEMBERS

David Bickham, Ph.D.
Instructor in Pediatrics, Research Scientist,
Children’s Hospital Boston,
Center on Media and Child Health

 

Candice Odgers, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Public Policy,
Psychology and Neuroscience,
Associate Director, Center of
Child and Family Policy, Duke University

Coming soon

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, It is important to understand how new and current technologies affect cognition, particularly during sensitive developmental periods, in different populations and settings. It is also Important to identify how these technologies can be used to prevent, remediate, or treat a range of developmental conditions.

COGNITIVE IMPACTS OF DIGITAL MEDIA WORKGROUP MEMBERS

 

WORKGROUP CHAIR

Dan Anderson, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, Psychology;
Children and Media Lab, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

 

Craig Anderson, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor and Director,
Center for the Study of Violence, Iowa State University

 

 

Heather Kirkorian, Ph.D.
Director, Cognitive Development and Media Learning Lab;
Professor, Human Development & Family Studies,
University of Wisconsin – Madison

 

Patti Valkenberg, Ph.D.
Distinguished University Professor of Media,
Youth and Society,
University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands

 

Kaveri Subrahmanyam, Ph.D.
Director, Media and Language Lab,
California State University, Los Angeles

 

Robert West, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology,
Iowa State University

 

Marcel Kinsbourne, MD
Professor of Psychology,
The New School for Social Research

 

Kevin Durkin, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology,
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK

 

Rachel Barr, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology,
Georgetown University

 

 

The Cyberbullying Workgroup will produce a white paper examining unexplored areas of research on cyberbullying, which will address the definition and operationalization of the term “cyberbullying,” which is currently overgeneralized; the overlap between bullying and cyberbullying, which is poorly delineated; and a review of bullying prevention programs that include modules addressing cyberbullying. Specific areas of research requiring additional focus are the satisfaction with, and use of, social media in children; the need for longitudinal research focusing on cyberbullying; and the perceptual changes that occur in digital communications that may lead to cyberbullying between children.

CYBERBULLYING WORKGROUP MEMBERS

WORKGROUP CHAIR

Elizabeth Englander, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology,
Director, Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center, Bridgewater State University

 

Ed Donnerstein, Ph.D.
Dean Emeritus,
Former President of the International Society for Research on Aggression,
University of Arizona

 

Robin Kowalski, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology
Clemson University

 

Carolyn Lin
Professor of Communication,
University of Connecticut

 

Michele Ybarra
President and Research Director, Center for Innovative Public Health Research,
Growing Up with Media

 

Katalin Parti, Ph.D.
Deputy Head of Division
Crime Research & Analysis Division
National Institute of Criminology,
Budapest, Hungary

Megan Moreno, MD, MSEd
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington;
PI, Social Media and Adolescent Health Research Team (SMAHRT)

WHITE PAPERS
Coming Soon 

Stephen Uzzo, Ph.D.
Vice President, Science and Technology,
New York Hall of Science

 

Jeremy Roschelle, Ph.D.
Center for Technology In Learning
SRI International

 

 

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. But what specific competencies must young citizens acquire? How do these competencies affect pedagogy? How are student knowledge, attitudes and behaviors changed? What are the best ways to assess students’ digital and media literacy? These questions underscore what parents, educators and community leaders need to know to ensure that youth become digitally and media literate. The workgroup is committed to investigating issues related to the responsible and critical creation and consumption of texts in all forms, includes skills of accessing, evaluating, analyzing and participating with the goal of coordinating research efforts in this evolving field.

DIGITAL LITERACY WORKGROUP MEMBERS

WORKGROUP CO-CHAIRS

Kristen Turner, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, English Education and Contemporary Literacies
Fordham University

 

Tessa Jolls
President and CEO,
Center for Media Literacy

 

Frank Gallagher
Vice President, Education
Cable Impacts Foundation

 

Michelle Schira-Hagerman Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Educational Technology,
University of Ottawa

 

Kristine E. Pytash, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor in Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies
Kent State University

 

Troy Hicks, Ph.D.
Professor of English, Director of the Chippewa River Writing Project,
Central Michigan University

 

William (Ian) O’Byrne, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Literacy Education
College of Charleston

Barbara J. Walkosz, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist, Klein Buendel, Inc., Golden, CO. Professor Emerita,
University of Colorado, Denver

 

 

Bobbie Eisenstock, Ph.D.
Media Education Consultant,
Professor, California State University Northridge

 

Henry Jenkins, Ph.D.
Provost’s Professor of Communication, Journalism, Cinematic Art, Education,
University of Southern California

 

Carolyn Wilson, M.Ed.
instructor, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto,
Chair UNESCO’s Global Alliance for Partnership on Media & Information Literacy (GAPMIL)

 

 

Coming soon

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 to peer influences (Lenhart, Madden et al. 2005, Ellison, Steinfield et al. 2007, Lenhart and Madden 2007, Lenhart, Purcell et al. 2010). Our workgroup considered the risks of digital communication in regard to three domains: enhanced exposure to favorable presentations of alcohol and other substances on social media, distractions due to cell phones and text messages while driving, and increased opportunities for behavioral addictions, such as online gambling. We discuss potential recommendations for each in turn.

RISKY BEHAVIORS WORKGROUP MEMBERS

WORKGROUP CHAIR

Dan Romer, Ph.D.
Director, Adolescent Communication Institute of the Annenberg Public Policy Center,
University of Pennsylvania

 

Megan Moreno, Ph.D.
Director, Adolescent Communication Institute of the Annenberg Public Policy Center,
University of Pennsylvania

 

Mucio Kit Delgado, MD
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine,
Perelman School of Medicine,
University of Pennsylvania

 

Mark Griffiths, Ph.D.
Chartered Psychologist, Director, International Gaming Research Unit,
Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdon

 

Sherry Emery, MBA Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist,
Institute for Health research and Policy,
University of Illinois at Chicago

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 peer relationships. In 2007, boyd and Ellison (boyd & Ellison, 2007) published their influential article entitled Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship, and since then, hundreds of articles, in a multitude of disciplines and from around the world, have examined just one social network site (albeit the largest): Facebook (Wilson, Gosling, & Graham, 2012). In 2015, much more is known about both the costs and benefits of the extraordinary time adolescents spend on a variety of social media including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.Currently, 76% of American adolescents report they use social media (Lenhart et al., 2015). This paper will provide an overview of the current research and will focus on adolescents, ages 13-18, and the associated developmental issues critical to consider as the next generation advances their digital lives. We conclude with recommendations for future research as well as guidelines for parents, educators, industry stakeholders, and policy makers.

SOCIAL NETWORKING WORKGROUP MEMBERS

WORKGROUP CO- CHAIRS

Yalda Uhis, Ph.D.
Senior researcher,
Children’s Digital Media Center at Los Angeles;
Regional Director, Common Sense Media

 

Nicole Ellison, Ph.D.
Associate Professor,
School of Information
University of Michigan

 

Kaveri Subrahamyam, Ph.D.
Director, Media and Language Lab,
California State University, Los Angeles

 

 

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 received their licenses and are from 16 to 20 years old. Furthermore, the accident and fatality rate among such drivers would be, and is, elevated under conditions in which they attempt to text and/or make calls on their cell phones while their vehicles are under way. Regarding these circumstances, several additional relevant facts are clear as well: (1) even for highly experienced mature adult drivers, attempting to drive while texting or cell phoning under heavy-traffic conditions elevates their accident rate considerably, so much so that organizations such as the American Automobile Association and other federal government agencies have issued warnings and/or bans against texting and hand-held cell phoning; (2) because of fundamental limits on human multitasking capacities, nobody is immune to the dangers against which such warnings are made; (3) driving while texting is at least as dangerous as driving while being illegally intoxicated; (4) because of teenagers’ relative inexperience at driving, the aforementioned dangers are considerably greater for them; (5) nevertheless, because of their relative inexperience at judging the dangers of various circumstances, combined with their proclivities toward media multi-tasking, adolescents (and young adults) perhaps frequently choose to text or cell phone while driving; (6) though accurate statistics about the latter matter are not yet fully available, these undesirable prospects seem quite likely. The questions then become: What can be done about all of this? How can adolescents and novice drivers be trained to fully appreciate the extreme dangers of texting and cell phoning while driving? How may they be motivated effectively to act on such knowledge and thereby absolutely refrain from these extremely dangerous behaviors? The Texting and Driving Work Group is seeking useful answers to such questions and ways of implementing them as best possible for protecting young and novice drivers as well as the public amongst whom they drive.

TEXTING AND DRIVING WORKGROUP MEMBERS

WORKGROUP CHAIR

David Meyer, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology;
Director of the Brain, Cognition and
Action Laboratory, University of Michigan

 

Paul Atchley, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology;
Associate Dean for Online and Professional Education, University of Kansas

 

David Strayer, Ph.D.
Professor of Cognition and Neural Science;
Director, Applied Cognition Lab,
University of Utah

Pediatric interventions often aim at functional enhancements through reestablishing previously learned behavior patterns or establishing new patterns of activity. Recent advances in virtual reality technologies allow for controlled presentations of emotionally engaging background narratives to assess and train cognitive processing, affective experience, and social interactions. Within this context virtual reality can allow instructors, therapists, neuropsychologists, and service providers to offer safe, repeatable, and diversifiable interventions that can benefit assessments and learning in both typically developing children and children with disabilities. Research has also pointed to virtual reality’s capacity to reduce children’s experience of aversive stimuli and reduce anxiety levels. While there are a number of purported advantages of virtual reality technologies, challenges have emerged. One challenge for this field of study is the need for establishing the psychometric properties of virtual reality assessments and interventions. Furthermore, a consensus statement and guidelines are needed for ideal use of virtual environments with children and adolescents. It is the working group’s consensus that investigations into these future research endeavors have potential to inform policy, theory, and praxes. Specifically, the addition of virtual reality platforms to pediatric assessments and interventions offers an opportunity for advancing our understanding of the cognitive, affective, psychosocial, and neural aspects of children as they take part in real-world activities.

VR WORKGROUP MEMBERS

WORKGROUP CHAIR

Thomas Parsons, Ph.D.
Associate Professor Psychology, Director, Computational Neuropsychology and Simulation (CNS) Lab,
University of North Texas

 

Sarah Parsons, BSc, Ph.D.
Reader, Southampton Education School at the University of Southampton

 

 

Fabrizia Mantovani Ph.D.
Senior Researcher, Assistant Professor, Psychology of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milan

 

 

Nigel Newbutt, BSc, Ph.D.
Associate Head of Department, Media and Cultural Industries,
University of the West of England

 

Eva Venturini, Ph.D.
Psychologist, Psychoterapist,
University of Milan-Bicocca

 

Trevor Hall, PsyD, ABPdN
Pediatric Neuropsychologist,
Dept of Pediatrics,
Oregon Health & Science University

 

Giuseppe Riva, Ph.D.
President, International Association of CyberPsychology, Training, and Rehabilitation, Dept of Psychology,
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan

 

 

IMMIGRANTS/MINORITIES/LOW INCOME WORKGROUP MEMBERS

WORKGROUP CHAIR

Vikki Katz, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
School of Communication and
Information, Rutgers University

 

Kevin Clark, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Digital Media Innovation and Diversity
Professor, Division of Learning Technologies
George Mason University

 

Vikki Katz, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
School of Communication and
Information, Rutgers University

 

Carmen Gonzalez, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Communication
University of Washington, Seattle, WA

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 simultaneously (‘media multitasking’) is considered (29%), American youth average almost 11 hr of media exposure each day of the week (Rideout et al., 2010). The ubiquity of media use and concomitant media multitasking has generated much scientific and societal interest in determining whether and how media multitasking impacts behavior, cognition, and brain structure and function. Given that large populations of media multitaskers are children and young adults, with brains that are still developing, the urgency to understand the neurocognitive profile of media multitaskers is great. The Media Multitasking Working Group aims to build a systematic understanding of the relationship between these cognitive domains and neural structure and function, and to understand the types of information processing that are necessary in 21st century learning environments.

MEDIA MULTITASKING WORKGROUP MEMBERS

WORKGROUP CO-CHAIRS

Melina Uncapher, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist,
CEO and co-founder, Institute for Applied Neuroscience,
Stanford University

 

Anthony Wagner, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience,
Director, Stanford Memory Lab, Stanford University

 

Naomi Susan Baron, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Center for Teaching, Research and Learning, American University

 

 

Dan Anderson, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, Psychology;
Children and Media Lab,
University of Massachusetts, Amherst

 

Larry Rosen, Ph.D.
Past Chair and Professor of Psychology,
California State University,
Dominguez Hills

 

Kira Bailey, Ph.D.
Post Doctoral Scholar,
Social Cognitive Neuroscience Lab,
University of Missouri

 

Joanne Cantor, Ph.D.
Outreach Director for the Center
for Communication Research,
University of Wisconsin-Madison

 

David Strayer, Ph.D.
Professor of Cognition and Neural Science;
Director, Applied Cognition Lab,
University of Utah

 

Heather Kirkorian, Ph.D.
Director, Cognitive Development and Media Learning Lab; Professor, Human Development & Family Studies,
University of Wisconsin-Madison

 

Lin Lin, Ed.D.
Associate Professor,
Department of Learning Technologies,
University of North Texas

 

Thomas Parsons, Ph.D.
Associate Professor,
Department of Psychology
University of North Texas

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’ use of media with their developing attitudes and beliefs related to sex, as well as their sexual behavior and sexual health. Some of these associations imply profound real and potential influences of sexual media on social attitudes, life trajectories, and public health. Our group is reviewing this literature in order to elucidate the conditions under which use of media, from television to social networking sites, is likely to have a positive or negative influence on youth, to identify key gaps and emerging issues in our understanding of these relationships, and develop recommendations for policy makers, parents, and other stakeholders.

MEDIA AND SEX WORKGROUP MEMBERS

WORKGROUP CO-CHAIRS

Victor Strasburger, MD
Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics; Chief, Division of Adolescent Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine

 

 

Rebecca Collins, Ph.D.

Senior behavioral scientist, RAND Corporation

 

 

MEMBERS

Jane D. Brown, Ph.D.
James L. Knight Professor Emerita, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, UNC-Chapel Hill

 

 

Edward Donnerstein, Ph.D.
Dean Emeritus and Professor of Communication, University of Arizona, Former President of the International Society for Research on Aggression

 

 

Amanda Lenhart
Senior Researcher, Director of Teens and Technology, Pew Research Center’s Internet Project

 

 

L. Monique Ward, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan

 

 

 

Coming soon

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. The Workgroup on Media Violence and Violent Video Games reviewed numerous meta-analyses and other relevant research extending 60+ years into the past, with an emphasis on more recent work on violent video games. The workgroup sought compelling evidence of both short-term and long-term effects. Questions included whether media violence increases, decreases or has no effect on: a) aggressive behavior; (b) aggressive thoughts, cognitions, beliefs…; (c) aggressive affect; (d) prosocial behavior; and (e) empathy for/desensitization to violence to others. Furthermore, the workgroup explains how and why effects occur in terms of modern social-cognitive theories of social behavior. The Workgroup report also notes major needs for additional research.

WORKGROUP CO- CHAIRS

Craig Anderson, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor
and Director, Center for the Study of Violence,
Iowa State University

 

Brad Bushman, Ph.D.
Professor of Communication and Psychology; Margaret Hall and Robert Randal Rinehart Chair of Mass Communication, Ohio State University

 

MV and VVG WORKGROUP MEMBERS

Bruce Bartholow, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri

 

 

Joanne Cantor, Ph.D.
Outreach Director of the Center
for Communication Research,
University of Wisconsin-Madison

 

Sarah Coyne, Ph.D.
Associate Professor,
Brigham Young University

 

Ed Donnerstein, Ph.D.
Dean Emeritus and Professor of Communication, University of Arizona, Former President of the International Society for Research on Aggression

 

 

Douglas Gentile, Ph.D.
Director, Media Research Lab;
Associate Professor of Psychology,
Iowa State University

 

C. Shawn Green, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor,
Department of Psychology,
University of Wisconsin-Madison

 

L. Rowell Huesmann, Ph.D.
Professor, Communication Studies & Psychology; Research Center for Group Dynamics,
University of Michigan

 

Tom Hummer, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Professor,
Department of Psychiatry,
Indiana University School of Medicine

 

Barbara Krahe, Ph.D.
Chair of Social Psychology,
University of Potsdam, Germany.

 

Jan Van den Bulck, Ph.D.
Professor, School for Mass Communication,
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium

 

Wayne Warburton, Ph.D.
Lecturer in Developmental Psychology,
Deputy Director, Children and Families
Research Centre,
Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia

Dimitri Christaskis, MD, MPH
Director, Center for Child Health, Behavior & Development,
Seattle Children’s Research Institute; Prof. of Pediatrics,
University of Washington

 

Erica Scharrer, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Department of Communication,
University of Massachusetts Amherst

 

Stacy Smith Ph.D.
Faculty Fellow, University
of Southern California Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy

 

Victor Strasburger, MD
Distinguished Professor, Pediatrics,
Chief of the Division of Adolescent Medicine,
University of New Mexico School of Medicine

 

Barbara Jan Wilson Ph.D.
Executive Vice Provost
for Faculty and Academic Affairs,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

 

Michele Ybarra, MPH, Ph.D.
President and Research Director,
Center for Innovative Public Health Research,
Growing Up with Media

 

Jeanne Brockmyer Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology,
University of Toledo

 

 

Coming soon

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, the new DSM-5recommendations for diagnosis from the American Psychiatric Association, as well as describing gaps in current knowledge about the prevalence, etiology, course, and treatment. Based on this information, the group will develop a prioritized research agenda and provide recommendations for parents and professionals.

ONLINE AND GAMING ADDICTION WORKGROUP MEMBERS

WORKGROUP CHAIR

Douglas Gentile, Ph.D.
Director, Media Research Lab;
Associate Professor of Psychology,
Iowa State University

 

Andrew Doan, MD, Ph.D.
Physician, Neuroscientist, Loma Linda University; Uniformed Services,
University of the Health Sciences

 

David Walsh, Ph.D.
Founder, Mind Positive Parenting,
University of Minnesota

 

Hilarie Cash, Ph.D., LMHC
Co-Founder, Executive Director,
reSTART Internet Addiction Recovery Center;
co-developer of the Gaming and Internet Treatment Program

 

Daphne Bavelier, Ph.D.
Professor, Brain and Cognitive Sciences
Universite of Geneva, Switzerland,
University of Rochester, Rochester NY

 

Florian Rehbein, Ph.D.
Psycholologist, Criminological Research
Institute of Lower Saxony, Germany

 

Nancy Petry, Ph.D.
Professor of Medicine; Director,
Behavioral Cardiovascular Prevention,
University of Connecticut Health Center

 

Michael Rich, MD, MPH
The Mediatrician;
Director, Center on Media and Child Health,
Harvard School of Public Health

 

Kimberly Young, Ph.D.
Founder and Director,
the Center for Internet Addiction Recovery,
St. Bonaventure University

 

Megan Moreno, MD, MsEd, MPH
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics,
University of Washington; PI, Social Media and Adolescent Health Research Team (SMAHRT)

 

Charles O’Brien, MD, Ph.D.
Director, Charles O’Brien Center for Addiction Treatment, Perelman School of Medicine,
University of Pennsylvania

 

Kira Bailey, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar,
Social Cognitive Neuroscience Lab,
University of Missouri

 

Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D.
Psychologist, Author,
Co-founder of The Center for Mindful Living in LA.

 

Cosette Rae, MSW, LSWAIC
Co-Founder, reSTART Internet Addiction Recovery Center;
co-developer, the Gaming and Internet Treatment Program

 

Tracy Markle, MA, LPC
Owner and Director,
Collegiate Coaching Services

 

David Sullivan, MSW, CACII
Wardenburg Health Center, Department of Psychological Health and Psychiatry,
University of Colorado Boulder

 

Elizabeth Woolley, Ph.D.
Founder, Onlne Gamer’s Anonymous

 

 

Jeanne Brockmyer, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology,
University of Toledo

 

Sarah Coyne, Ph.D.
Associate Professor,
Brigham Young University

 

C. Shawn Green, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor,
Department of Psychology,
University of Wisconsin-Madison

 

Mark Griffiths, Ph.D.
Chartered Psychologist,
Director, International Gaming Research Unit,
Nottingham Trent University

 

Don Grant, MA, MFA, Ph.D.
Editor in Chief,
Start Again Media
Sara Prot, MA
Department of Psychology, Iowa State University

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. In its white paper, the Workgroup highlighted the need for the stakeholders to convene and develop a strategic work plan to address current gaps in policies to help ensure the needs of young people will be better addressed by both policymakers and the marketplace. Currently, there are very few organizations, some of which represented on this Workgroup, that advocate for policies designed to create a healthy media environment for children, as well as monitor and analyze the fast-moving changes of digital media. Workgroup members recommend a well-supported infrastructure to help facilitate and coordinate the work of groups committed to serving the interests of to develop effective ongoing advocacy, marketplace research, and public education activities.

POLICY WORKGROUP MEMBERS

WORKGROUP CHAIR

Eileen Espejo
Director, Media and Health Policy,
Children Now

 

Angela Campbell, JD
Co- Director, Institute for Public Representation; Professor of Law, Georgetown Law

 

 

Victor Strasburger, MD
Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics;
Chief, Division of Adolescent Medicine,
University of New Mexico School of Medicine

 

Jeff Chester
Executive Director,
Center for Digital Democracy

 

Lori Dorfman Dr.P.H.
Director, Berkeley Media Studies,
a project of the Public Health Institute, Associate Adjunct Professor,
School of Public Health,
University of California, Berkeley

 

“Children’s Privacy in the Big Data Era”

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. Now the forces of Big Data are further transforming that environment, ushering in a new generation of sophisticated analytics and measurement systems, and facilitating the growth of unprecedented profiling and targeting. Data can now be collected across a spectrum of technologies that children encounter—at home, at school, at play, and in their social interactions. These trends pose serious threats to children’s privacy, raising the specter of “digital dossiers” that could follow young people into adulthood, affecting their access to education, employment, health care, and financial services. While there are regulations in place – including the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) – that provide some safeguards for children under 13, emerging practices in the Big Data era raise a number of issues that need to be addressed by researchers, advocates, and policymakers. There are currently no laws to protect the privacy of teenagers, even though they are among the most avid users of digital media. Unfortunately, academic research continues to lag far behind the rapid changes in media and technology. Scholarly studies have explored issues such as young peoples’ attitudes about online privacy and their use of social media privacy policies, but the entire area of digital marketing and data collection remains under-researched. This paper will highlight some promising new academic initiatives and offer an agenda for future studies that can inform policy and best practices.

PRIVACY, SECURITY, AND SAFETY WORKGROUP MEMBERS

WORKGROUP CHAIR

Kathryn Montgomery, Ph.D.
Professor and Director of Communication Studies, American University

 

 

Jeffrey Chester
Executive Director,
Center for Digital Democracy

 

Bobbie Eisenstock. Ph.D.
Media Education Consultant, California State University at Northridge; Faculty Fellow, Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing

 

 

Michele Ybarra. MPH, Ph.D.
President and Research Director, Center for Innovative Public Health Research,
Growing Up with Media

 

Angela Campbell, JD
Co-Director, Institute for Public Representation; Professor of Law, Georgetown Law

 

 

Tijana Milosevic, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow,
Department of Media and Communication,

 
University of Oslo, Norway

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. Reports from Common Sense Media in 2013 indicate that 66% of children under age 2 have watched TV or DVDs and 72% of children age 8 and younger have used a mobile device. Furthermore, recent research on preschools adoption of digital technology indicates a young children increasingly have access to IPads in there classes. What impact do these technologies have on children’s development? Earlier research on television’s influence suggests that carefully designed children’s television may encourage positive emotion and social skills such as kindness, sharing and tolerance in addition to promoting academic learning. There is currently a lack of research studying the effects of learning from the newer digital technologies. However, the existing research supports the premise that developmentally appropriate content on interactive media, primarily computers can have positive impacts on children’s early learning. What is important is the content of the media children are engaging with and the context of use, and especially when young children are guided by parents and caretakers when using these digital technologies.

EARLY CHILDHOOD WORKGROUP MEMBERS

WORKGROUP CHAIR

Ellen Wartella, Ph.D.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Than
i Professor of Communication,
Northwestern University

 

Dan Anderson, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, Psychology;
Children and Media Lab, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

 

Rachel Barr, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology,
Georgetown University

 

Sandra Calvert, Ph.D.
Director, Children’s Digital Media
Center; Professor of Psychology,
Georgetown University

 

Dimitri Christakis, MD, MPH
Director, Center for Child Health, Behavior & Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute; Prof. of Pediatrics, University of Washington

 

 

JoAnn Deak, Ph.D.
Psychologist; Educator; Author;
Founder of The DEAK Group

 

Heather Kirkorian, Ph.D.
Director, Cognitive Development and
Media Learning Lab; Professor, Human
Development & Family Studies,
University of Wisconsin-Madison

David Kleeman
Senior Vice President, Insights Programs
and PlayVangelist, PlayCollective

 

Diane Levin, Ph.D.
Professor of Early Childhood Education,
Wheelock College

 

Deborah Linebarger, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Education,
University of Iowa

 

Jennifer Radesky, MD
Assistant Professor,
Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics,
Boston Medical Center

 

Kimberly Young, Ph.D.
Founder and Director,
the Center for Internet Addiction Recovery,
St. Bonaventure University

 

Eileen Espejo
Director, Media and Health Policy,
Children Now

 

Jane Brown, Ph.D.
James L. Knight Professor Emerita,
School of Journalism & Mass Communication,
UNC-Chapel Hill

 

 

The Family, Parenting, and Media Work Group 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 by families, affects family dynamics, and is shaped by parenting and other family influences. Our aim is to synthesize the literature about digital media use and parent-child interaction, family relationships, parent mediation practices, parenting style, family routines, and the larger family culture, and identify the most pressing research gaps and policy implications of these findings.

FAMILIES AND PARENTING WORKGROUP MEMBERS

WORKGROUP CO- CHAIRS

Sarah Coyne, Ph.D.
Associate Professor,
Brigham Young University

 

Jennifer Radesky, MD
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics,
C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital University of Michigan Health System

 

Amy Nathanson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor,
School of Communication, The Ohio State University

 

 

Eric Rasmussen, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor,
College of Media & Communication,
Texas Tech University

 

Jean Rogers, MS, Ed.
Founder, Kids Media Diet;
Wheelock College

 

Carrie James Ph.D.
Research Director, Principal Investigator,
Project Zero; Harvard Graduate School of Education

 

Douglas Gentile Ph.D.
Director, Media Research Lab;
Associate Professor of Psychology,
Iowa State University

 

Jennifer Ruh Linder Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychology,
Linfield College
Kevin Collier
Ph.D. Student, School of Communication, The Ohio State University

Stephanie Reich Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Education,
School of Education,
University of California, Irvine

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 outcomes and change behaviors are videogames for health (G4H). Early outcome results are promising: repeated play facilitates choice-making, risky or otherwise, without immediate personal consequences, and embeds the kind of behavior that results in positive changes to individual health. But to meet a population’s diverse health needs, multiple targeted G4H should be available in developmentally appropriate ways. In our white paper, Games for Health for Children—Current Status
and Needed Research our group recommends substantial, consistent and sophisticated research to realize the benefits of the new technology. Twenty-nine percent of game players are below the age of 18, and web browsers, game consoles and smartphones make G4H repeat play easy and accessible for young people. Additional research is needed to determine game design and behavior change procedures and to identify and minimize possible adverse effects. We believe that guidelines for ideal use of G4H by children and adolescents should be developed by all stakeholders: organizational implementers, policymakers, players and their families, researchers, designers, retailers, and publishers should each have a voice to capitalize on their insights and enhance the effectiveness of game use.

GAMES FOR HEALTH/ONLINE USES OF HEALTH WORKGROUP MEMBERS

WORKGROUP CHAIR

Thomas Baranowski, Ph.D.
Editor-in-Chief, Games for Health Journal;
Professor of Pediatrics (Behavioral Nutrition & Physical Activity), Baylor College of Medicine

 

Kimberly Young, Ph.D.
Founder and Director, the Center for Internet Addiction Recovery, St. Bonaventure University

 

 

Fran Blumberg, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Counseling Psychology,
Fordham University

 

C. Shawn Green, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology,
University of Wisconsin-Madison

 

Pamela Kato, EdM, Ph.D.
Professor of Serious Games,
Serious Games Institute at Coventry University in the UK

 

Ann Maloney, MD
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist,
University of Massachussets Medical School

 

Lynn Fiellin, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine,
Yale School of Medicine

 

Robin Mellecker,Ph.D.
Post Doctorate Fellow ,
The University of Hong Kong

 

Ann DeSmet, Ph.D.
Psychologist, Ghent University, Belgium

 

 

Monique Simons, Ph.D.
Researcher, Human Geography and Planning,
Universiteit Utrecht

 

Wei Peng, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Telecommunications, Information Studies, and Media,
Michigan State University

 

Brooke Morrill, Ph.D.
Educational Researcher,
Schell Games

 

Amanda Staiano, Ph.D., M.P.P.
Assistant Professor,
Pennington Biomedical Research Center

 

Deborah Thompson, Ph.D., RD
Associate Professor, Pediatrics-Nutrition,
Baylor College of Medicine

 

Richard Buday, Ph.D.
Prinicpal, Archimage

 

 

Ross Shegog, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Communication and Dissemination,
The University of Texas School of Public Health

 

Amy Lu, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies
and Health Sciences, Northeastern University

WORKGROUP CHAIR

Jane Brown, Ph.D.
James L. Knight Professor Emerita,
School of Journalism & Mass Communication,
UNC-Chapel Hill

This interdisciplinary working group 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 scholars, practitioners, and others with key knowledge of this broad problem space. We will produce a brief white paper summarizing the state of research on digital life, youth well-being and a cluster of related issues such as intimacy, empathy, and narcissism. The extent to which youth are engaging in self-socialization via media choices and the impacts of these processes will also be explored. In addition to producing a succinct overview of research findings in these areas, the white paper will identify research gaps and urgent questions for future research, and offer recommendations for improving the media experiences of children and adolescents.

WORKGROUP CO-CHAIRS

Katie Davis
Assistant Professor
Information School, University of Washington

 

Carrie James, Ph.D.
Research Director
Principal Investigator at Project Zero
Harvard Graduate School of Education

 

Fred Dillon
Director of Product Development,
HopeLab

 

Sara Konrath, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Indiana University
Lilly Family School of Philanthropy,
Director of Interdisciplinary Program,
Empathy and Altruism Research

Larry Magid, Ph.D.
Technology Journalist, CEO, Co-Founder, ConnectSafely.org;
Founder of SafeKids.com

 

Kelly Mendoza, Ph.D.
Director, Professional Development,
Education Programs,
Common Sense Media

 

Megan Moreno, MD, MSEd, MPH
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics,
University of Washington;
PI, Social Media and Adolescent Health Research Team (SMAHRT)

 

Petr Slovak,
Doctoral Student
Vienna University of Technology
Emily Weinstein,
Doctoral Student, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Lana Yaroush, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Computer Science and Engineering Department,
University of Minnesota

 

Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Wellesley Centers for Women
Welllesley College

Coming soon

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 the latest news stories to see that there are serious issues such as social inequalities and intergroup conflicts that call for immediate attention. The purpose of this group is to develop and disseminate the best research in order to foster a national dialogue about the impact of digital media on children and adolescents’ social perceptions and identity development. By definition, identity is intersectional, combining multiple racial and ethnic backgrounds with other social categories such as gender, sexual orientation, disability status, and religious orientations. Our work advances knowledge of mediated constructions of identity about self and others and aims to improve inter-group relations amongst diverse groups of citizens The members of this team represent key voices for change in our culture that are committed to fostering mutual interdependence and understanding.

MEDIA PORTRAYALS WORKGROUP MEMBERS

WORKGROUP CHAIR

Karen Dill-Shackleford, Ph.D.
Program Director, Media Psychology
Doctoral Program,
Fielding Graduate University

 

Srividya Ramasubramanian, Ph.D.
Associate Professor,
Department of Communication,
Texas A & M University

 

Dafna Lemish, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Mass Communication
and Media Arts,
Southern Illinois University Carbondale

 

Erica Scharrer, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair,
Department of Communication,
University of Massachusetts Amherst

 

Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Mass Media,
University of Missouri

 

Melina Burgess, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychology,
Southwestern Oklahoma State University

 

MEDIA PORTRAYALS CONSULTING MEMBERS

Nina Huntemann, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychology,
Southwestern Oklahoma State University

 

Kevin Clark, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Digital Media Innovation and Diversity, Professor, Division of Learning Technologies, George Mason University

 

 

Rebecca Collins, Ph.D.
Senior behavioral scientist,
RAND Corporation

 

Vikki Katz, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, School of Communication and Information, Rutgers University

 

 

L. Monique Ward, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology,
University of Michigan

 

Stacy Smith, Ph.D.
Faculty Fellow,
University of Southern California
Annenberg Center on Communication
Leadership & Policy

Anita Sarkeesian
Founder of Feminist Frequency,
Feminist Media Critic, Blogger,
Public Speaker