What’s Happening at the Lab

Dr. Michael Rich will be presenting his perspective on the impacts media has on mental and physical health stemming from his work in the Clinic for Interactive Media and Internet Disorders (CIMAID). He will also be discussing the Digital Wellness Lab’s Pulse Surveys on Adolescent Media Use and the ways our research helps to shape the work done in clinical settings.

The 13th Annual Advancing Integration of Care Conference, co-produced by Atrius Health and Boston Children’s Hospital, dives into a variety of topics necessary for primary care clinicians to integrate into their regular practice. Dr. Michael Rich will be closing out the two-day conference with his presentation on “Social Media’s Impact on Children,” sharing insights from his experiences working in the Clinic for Interactive Media and Internet Disorders (CIMAID).

The Lab’s Librarian Kaitlin Tiches and Clinical Research Specialist Nicole Powell will be joining the Boston Children’s Hospital’s Office of Community Health Grantees meeting to share the latest research and best practices in supporting young people’s balanced and healthy use of technology and media and to hear from the grantees about the challenges and successes they are experiencing in the field.

The Children’s Foundation of Mississippi produces 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 in Mississippi and around the nation. Dr. Michael Rich is joining Executive Director Dr. Linda Southward to discuss healthy engagement with technology and interactive media and to share about the Digital Wellness Lab’s resources and research. Learn more

The Metro-North Transition Task Force is a community of educators, state agencies, and adult service professionals in Massachusetts united to promote awareness and improve outcomes for youth with special needs transitioning out of the public education system. Dr. Mike Tsappis will meet with the Task Force to share best practices and guidance on supporting balanced and productive technology use in education and addressing young people’s negative use and/or overuse of technology.

Dr. David Bickham, the Lab’s Research Director, will be presenting a paper titled “Development and validation of a screener for problematic interactive media use among adolescents” during the APHA’s Annual Meeting. Problematic Interactive Media Use (PIMU) is an escalating adolescent health concern necessitating contemporary screening tools. This study defines and validates an innovative screener that assesses functional issues and associated media use behaviors, moving away from a focus on potentially stigmatizing attentional, behavioral, or cognitive deficits of adolescents. Learn more

Clinicians from the Clinic for Interactive Media and Internet Disorders (CIMAID) Dr. Michael Rich, Dr. Mike Tsappis, and Kathy Cooney LICSW, along with the Lab’s Research Director Dr. David Bickham, will lead a course addressing methods for identification and treatment of Problematic Interactive Media Use (PIMU). This 4-credit half-day virtual course is designed for pediatricians, family practitioners, psychologists, social workers, nurses, and other health professionals who work with children, adolescent, and young adult patients. Register now!

In support of the three core principles of the Inspired Internet Pledge, Pledge Advisor Scroll by Choice will facilitate a meeting of signatories and advisors to discuss how solutions providers can play a meaningful role in bridging the gap between the controls that are available within apps and platforms, and the families and youth that use them.

The Lab’s Medical Librarian Kaitlin Tiches is joining a panel presentation discussing what we know about the health and safety impacts on young people of social media use. The presentation, part of the American School Health Association’s Annual School Health Conference, will tackle key topics of young people’s wellbeing in a connected world and the role that schools can play in ensure students’ health and safety.

Dr. Michael Rich will be a guest speaker at Dr. Linda Charmaraman’s Wellesley College seminar about social tech and adolescent development. Students in the class are working to hone their skills in translating research into accessible pieces for public consumption, and will hear from Dr. Rich about his experiences in sharing research in multiple formats.

The Lab’s Research Manager Sam Schwamm will be meeting with faculty, staff, and parents from Milton Academy to discuss data-informed best practices for maintaining balance, wellbeing, and safety online.

The overall objective of World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health. The day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.

Learn more

After spending a summer with us as a Summer Research Assistant, college student Alicia Owens will be representing the Lab as a member of a youth panel, speaking about key topics of youth safety and wellbeing online.

Dr. Michael Rich will be presenting about Problematic Interactive Media Use, data-based recommendations for prevention of such disruptive use, and guidance for parents from his book The Mediatrician’s Guide at the annual Harvard Business School Fall Reunion.

The Digital Wellness Lab is hosting our bi-monthly supporters’ meeting during which we dive into our research findings to identify what they may tell us about how to help kids and families stay healthy and safe in a digitally saturated ecosystem.

Following his panel presentation in Spring 2024, Dr. Michael Rich is once again joining The Gifford School to virtually present educators with research- and clinically-derived guidance for their fall implementation of Yondr pouches to reduce cellphone use on campus.

The Lab’s Executive Director, Cori Stott and Lab Coordinator, Allison Wolfe will be attending this interdisciplinary research symposium focused on expanding our understanding of the evolving relationship between technology and mental health.

Dr. Michael Rich will be presenting a webinar titled “Understanding Social Media’s Impact: Influencers,Body Image, and Substances,” which will discuss key findings from his book The Mediatrician’s Guide and insights from his work with the Clinic for Interactive Media and Internet Disorders.

Learn more and register →

Dr. David Bickham will join Dr. Jason Nagata Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at UCSF, Scott Eberle, and Leah Austin, President and CEO of the National Black Child Development Institute for a live-streamed panel titled “The digital lives of children: Impacts of screen time on health and play”.

View the discussion live or recorded →

To support the Waterford School’s new cellphone policy, the Lab’s Nicole Powell, Kaitlin Tiches, Sam Schwamm, and Dr. Michael Rich will be facilitating a day-long series of workshops with students, faculty, and parents, engaging in open conversation with grades 4-12 about instilling healthy media habits and maintaining a balanced life.