What’s Happening at the Lab

Digital wellbeing is a core element of our overall mental and physical health! Sam Schwamm will be speaking at the annual Massachusetts Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance convention. Through this opportunity, Sam will be sharing our research and resources with 1,500 state leaders and professionals in the health, physical education, sport, recreation, outdoor pursuits, and dance disciplines.

The Digital Wellness Lab and NAMLE are co-hosting the first annual Amplify Youth Summit, an initiative of the Inspired Internet Pledge, bringing together over 50 young people from around the United States to engage in discussion and workshops about mental, social, and emotional wellbeing in a digitally-driven world. This youth-forward event aims to provide a platform for teens and young adults to share their experiences and innovative ideas for building a kinder, healthier, more respectful internet, and world.

Dr. Michael Rich will be speaking as part of the Youth Track at this year’s IAAH World Congress. His presentation on “Media Literacy and Health for Youth” will focus on lessons drawn from his work as a clinician in building and maintaining digital balance and safety for families.

Dr. David Bickham, Dr. Kathlyn Elliott, and Cori Stott will be heading to Washington, DC for FOSI’s annual conference. This year’s theme is Online Safety in Tumultuous Times, exploring safeguards for children and families with a focus on balancing risk management with opportunities for positive experiences. Cori will additionally serve on a panel exploring “Partnership Frameworks for Family Safety: Collaborative Approaches to Digital Wellbeing”.

Dr. David Bickham is leading a talk about our work with problematic media use and the PIMU-11 screener at the CASBHC 2025 Annual Conference titled “Navigating a Shifting Healthcare Landscape – How School-Based Health Centers Can Adapt to Continue”. The conference will provide school-based health professionals, school professionals, state legislators, state health and education agency representatives, oral health providers, policymakers, and advocates with training in key areas of young people’s health and wellbeing.

Nicole Powell and Hannah Chidekel will be leading a series of student, parent, and educator workshops exploring digital safety and balance while Dr. Michael Rich will lead a discussion with parents oriented around his recent book, The Mediatrician’s Guide: A Joyful Approach to Raising Healthy, Smart, Kind Kids in a Screen-Saturated World.

This course is designed for healthcare professionals who work with child, adolescent, and young adult patients to build their understanding of PIMU, including its different presentations and comorbidities, and how to prevent, recognize, and respond to it in a clinical setting. This course will be fully virtual and presented via Zoom. In addition, it will be available on-demand for all paid attendees for six weeks after the course.

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Kaitlin Tiches will be leading a conversation with parents and educators from the Massachusetts Association of Approved Special Education Schools (MAAPS) organization at the Gifford School. Through this talk, participants will explore young people’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) applications including smart speakers and generative AI tools like chatbots. Attendees will learn strategies for parents and caregivers to make decisions about if, how, and/or when these tools should be used in ways that promote digital wellbeing for their child(ren). Attendees will also be introduced to critical thinking questions for assessing risks and benefits of existing and new technologies that young people may be likely to adopt.

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