EMPOWERING DIGITAL WELLNESS FOR KIDS | November 2023

Greetings Friend of the Lab,

October found us welcoming 30 high school students to our 2023-24 Student Advisory Council. Members hail from 14 U.S. states, represent a diverse array of schools, and embody a wide range of personal media use behaviors.

In our first meeting, we dove straight in with a discussion of what digital wellness looks like for teens. Themes covered in the incredibly thoughtful conversations included:

• Using social media to better ourselves (e.g., education, exposure to different experiences and perspectives, how tech can aid in relaxation and relieve stress)
• Making conscious choices to forge positive online relationships and connections
• Being a discerning user of digital media (e.g., intentionality, digital/media literacy, understanding healthy uses vs. unproductive uses, self-awareness of FOMO and unrealistic standards)
• Setting boundaries (e.g., daily screen time limits, using apps that help you stay focused)
• Connecting with people from different countries/cultures who you wouldn't normally interact with in the real world
• Potentially delaying use of certain devices/platforms (e.g., social media, gaming) until you're a bit older and more able to self-regulate

The Council will meet monthly through May. At the close of the school year, members will take part in a roundtable discussion with technology and media leaders to share what they think could be done to make the digital ecosystem a healthier and safer place for young people.

We look forward to learning more each month from this dynamic group of teens.

Read on for more news from the Lab.

Thank you!

Cori Stott
Administrative Director
The Digital Wellness Lab

We’re Hiring: Lab Coordinator

We are looking for a highly organized Lab Coordinator, someone to keep the day-to-day running smoothly. It's a great opportunity for an early-career professional with plans on running a non-profit in the future. 

This is a hands-on opportunity to coordinate key elements of finances, fundraising, marcomms, and team culture; to interface with faculty and staff from the hospital and with external organizations; and to assist with the various cross-functional activities of the Lab, including research.

Please share with anyone you think may be interested!

Resources for Parents & Caregivers

Exploring the Nuances of Young People’s Social Media Use and Experiences

Conversations with Clinicians: Meredith Gansner, MD

Our mission is to understand and promote positive and healthy digital media experiences for young people, from birth through young adulthood.

The Lab in the News

Is Social Media Addictive? Here’s What the Science Says The New York Times

Cellphone Bans Can Ease Students’ Stress and Anxiety Education Week

How to help kids and teens deal with cyberbullying ABC7NY

Should Psychiatrists Advocate Banning Screens From Kids’ Bedrooms? Psychiatric News

The horrors in Israel should be a wake-up call about kids and social media Washington Post

The psychology of ‘sharenting’: Why parents can't resist talking about their kids online — and what experts say about it Yahoo Life

WeAre8 signs Inspired Internet Pledge on World Mental Health Day Mediaweek

What’s Happening in November

Members of the Lab will be sharing digital wellness education and online safety presentations at: York Hospital in Maine, Sesame Workshop in New York, the Annual Renfrew Center Foundation Conference in Pennsylvania, the National Communication Association in Maryland, and the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) annual conference in Washington, DC. 

If you have friends, family, and colleagues who could benefit from this newsletter, please pass it on and encourage them to sign up to receive it themselves. Thank you!