Laura Marciano, PhD
Research Associate, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Research Associate, The Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness
Advisory Board Member, IBSA Foundation for Scientific Research
What’s your organization’s mission, and what’s your area of focus?
At the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, my specific research focuses on studying the wellbeing of teens and how they can thrive in today’s digital age, and likewise attempts to understand how technology is intertwined with adolescent development at different stages. We use different methodologies to learn about the key variables in a world that is changing rapidly online and offline. Once we know how these stages and variables are related and impact each other, we can work to prevent negative outcomes, and instead advance an approach that promotes wellbeing and mental health in adolescence.
I’m now bringing my experience, expertise, and research questions to the Digital Wellness Lab. We’re collaborating together on an extension of my previous work, HappyB, but bringing it to the next level with the HappyB2.0 Study. This project investigates the daily effects of online versus in person interactions on teen wellbeing, conceptualizing happiness and flourishing. We are also looking at social-connection, belonging, thriving, etc. We’re leveraging some new approaches to research and measurement that we’re very excited about.
What led you to this work?
During my studies in psychology and cognitive neuroscience, our focus was often on illnesses within clinical populations. I felt a desire to work on broader impact, engaging with the general population. I was ready to shift my focus away from illness, recognizing that there’s another side to the spectrum. There’s often a negative bias in published literature; we tend to publish findings related to problems rather than promoting well-being, health, and happiness.
Following an important family loss, I pursued a PhD in communication in Switzerland, an opportunity I hadn’t initially envisioned. However, it felt like a natural continuation of my work, and I was motivated to bring my psychology and neuroscience background to this field. The intersection of different disciplines and areas of expertise is where the real power to advance science lies.
Today, especially among young scholars, academia is highly competitive. It’s crucial to remain humble and acknowledge that significant change rarely happens in isolation. We need collaborative teams and diverse skill sets to truly make a difference.
What have you learned in the course of doing this work about young people’s wellness while engaging with tech and interactive media?
We often underestimate today’s teens, who are more aware and intelligent than we realize. It’s important to step back and acknowledge that our own upbringing was in a different context. We didn’t experience their world, and therefore, we need to learn from them. They have valuable insights that can shape our research questions and focus, and we’re likely missing crucial aspects if we don’t engage in conversation with them. Before conducting any studies, I always make a point to talk to teens to stay connected, learn, and gain a broader perspective.
Secondly, while teens are perceptive, they also value and consider recommendations from their families and parents. This makes our research extremely relevant. However, we often struggle with effective communication. We need to learn how to convey our findings efficiently; otherwise, our hard work risks being confined to scientific papers, and conferences, thus limiting its impact to a group of experts in the field. Being a good researcher isn’t enough. Collaborating with science communication specialists is essential to translate our findings into accessible and practical information.
What guidance or advice do you have for parents and other caregivers to help kids to build and maintain their wellness when engaging with digital media and technology?
Adults should strive to understand teenagers’ perspectives with empathy and without judgment, stepping into their shoes. Approach conversations with genuine curiosity and aim for honest dialogue on the teens’ level.
In my science communication project Happiness2.0, we combined arts and science to create masks representing our digital identity. This artistic process was able to shed light on unconscious dynamics and the complexities behind the online behavior of teens. As experts, we provided feedback and guidance rooted in curiosity and non-judgment. This project was an example of how engaging activities using arts can help difficult conversation with teens and provide a context for healthy and non-judgmental communication.
Furthermore, caregivers need to set positive examples, especially for young children. Parental screen time and problematic usage patterns are strong predictors of children’s screen time habits. This is why establishing clear rules that apply to every member of the family is essential.
How would you change or design technology and/or media to be healthier for kids across the developmental span?
Firstly, developers should engage more with developmental experts to fully leverage the potential for positive impact. Secondly, users should have greater control over their experience, choosing what they prefer and dislike, rather than the platform dictating the content. The ongoing discussion around warning labels for technology and social media is logical; similar to medical procedures with side effects, users deserve to be informed about potential impacts. This information should be readily available to social media and tech users. Social media platforms can also benefit from this approach, creating a win-win situation if used responsibly and effectively.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
As part of The Youth & Interactive Media Coalition at Harvard University, and now collaborating with the Digital Wellness Lab, I’m looking forward to the collective nature of our work. We are all hoping our research and insights are able to advance progress on issues impacting youth in the digital age, demonstrating how technology can be harnessed for growth, connection, and wellbeing.
We know that no one person, organization, or company can successfully address the challenge alone, so it’s imperative that we collaborate to design and maintain a healthier digital experience for all young people and their families. Our Fellow Travelers blog series features colleagues from around the world who focus on digital wellness from a different perspective than the Digital Wellness Lab, enabling us to share expertise in key areas of digital wellness that we don’t explore as deeply.
Here at the Lab, we welcome different viewpoints and perspectives. However, the opinions and ideas expressed here do not necessarily represent the views, research, or recommendations of the Digital Wellness Lab, Boston Children’s Hospital, or affiliates.