Staying Current with Kids’ Tech & Digital Media Experiences

We conduct Digital Wellness Pulse Surveys periodically throughout the year to stay current on topics related to children’s and adolescents’ media and technology use. Our early surveys asked parents about their child’s use of media and its impact on their well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent surveys focus on asking adolescents about a range of topics to help us better understand their perspective on different aspects of the digital environment.

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

Pulse Survey: August 2023

In our most recent survey, Exploring the Nuances of Young People’s Social Media Use and Experiences, we asked 1,505 young people between the ages of 15 and 22 about their experiences with social media platforms and specific types of online spaces within them.

Adolescent Media Use: Mediation and Online Safety Features

Pulse Survey: March 2023

In this survey, Adolescent Media Use: Mediation and Online Safety Features, we asked 1,502 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 17 about their general media use and its impact on their well-being, how they think about rules and guidance from their parents and caregivers, and how they utilize the safety tools and features provided by online platforms and apps.

Digital Citizenship and Media Literacy

Pulse Survey: August 2022

In this Pulse Survey, Adolescent Media Use: Attitudes, Effects, and Online Experiences, the Digital Wellness Lab surveyed 1,480 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 17 to learn more about how they perceive their individual media use and its effects on their health and well-being.

Parents’ Perspectives: Risks and Benefits of Children's First Cell Phones

Pulse Survey: December 2021

In this Pulse Survey about kids’ cell phone ownership, parents reported that connection and safety were the primary motivators for getting a child a cell phone. Notably, parents whose children do not have phones were more concerned about potential consequences than parents of children with phones.

Parents’ Perspectives: Summer Media Use and the Return to School

Pulse Survey: September 2021

In our second Pulse Survey, parents reported that their children used increased amounts of media during the summer. Overall they saw this use as mainly helpful to their children's social connections, well-being, and school readiness. In addition, children were both anxious and excited for this upcoming school year.

Parents’ Perspectives: Media Use & Remote Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Pulse Survey: March 2021

Respondents of our first survey said that in the past year, technology has changed the way children connect with others, both in and out of school. In addition, media use has had positive and negative effects on their children’s health and well-being.