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Guides from the Digital Wellness Lab

Browse our researched, expert guidance for parents and caregivers
Welcome! Our guides cover a variety of topics with detailed advice based on the latest peer-reviewed scientific research. Here you’ll find practical, real-world steps you can take to help you raise healthy, smart, and kind children in our increasingly digital age. Please contact us with your feedback and ideas at dwl@childrens.harvard.edu
– The Digital Wellness Lab Team
kids use tablets together in a classroom Parent’s Guide to Digital Citizenship Keeping kids safe in the digital world can feel like a full-time job. But it’s impossible to monitor their online activity 24/7, so it’s critical to help kids learn to… Read More
Young girl comforts sad friend looking at phone Parent’s Guide to Cyberbullying In the United States, 59% of teens report that they have experienced harassment and bullying online. Learn about the possible effects and warning signs of cyberbullying and how you can… Read More
a class of young people in a lecture taking notes on laptops Parent’s Guide to Going Back to School with Technology Sharpened pencils and cool first-day outfits have always been part of the back-to-school fun, but for today's kids, things aren’t as analog as they used to be. The COVID-19 pandemic… Read More
adult helping a child at a laptop Parent’s Guide to Disinformation and Misinformation Online Is that really true?! We’ve all seen the screaming headlines and tempting clickbait. Unfortunately, not all of the information on the internet tells the whole truth, and some of it… Read More
four youths looking at phones outside Parent’s Guide to a Child’s First Cell Phone If your child is begging for a phone because all their friends have one (or if you want to give your child a phone so you can keep in contact… Read More
child with head in hands next to gaming computer Parent’s Guide to Problematic Interactive Media Use (PIMU) The world in which young people are growing up today is dramatically different from the world of their parents’ youth. Nearly 100% of teens report having access to a smartphone… Read More
Young people very excitedly play video games Parent’s Guide to Video Gaming A quarter of teens believe they spend too much time playing video games, while a similar share feels they spend too little time doing so. Learn about the effects, both… Read More
Child and parent high five while working with a book Parent’s Guide to Creating Shared Media Use Agreements This guide offers strategies and resources for creating effective shared media use agreements with children of all ages. Read More
happy family with devices on a couch Parent’s Guide to Media Literacy & Social-Emotional Learning What is media literacy, and why is it important? Media literacy is the ability to consume, engage with, and create media critically (e.g., identifying fake information on social media and… Read More
Youth livestreaming in front of computer and phone Parent’s Guide to Video Game Livestreaming In 2020, there were 18.6 billion hours of video gameplay watched on Twitch, where 41% of registered users are aged 16-24. Learn about the benefits and risks of video game… Read More