At the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, we conduct research and work across industries to develop evidence-based guidance to encourage technology leaders to build a healthier digital ecosystem for youth. The Lab’s Student Advisory Council, made up of high school students from across the country, contributes an invaluable youth perspective that helps to inform our work.
Applications for the 2024-25 Student Advisory Council available in August.
If you want more details or have a question, please don’t hesitate to email us at dwl@childrens.harvard.edu. We’re happy to answer questions from teachers and parents too!
A chance to positively impact future media and technology
Digital Wellness Lab Student Advisory Council members will serve as student advisors to the Lab, giving them the opportunity to learn about the latest research on digital media and technology — and its impact on youth — build leadership skills, and contribute to important change initiatives.
- Engage in comprehensive conversations about their experiences online;
- Learn about current research and discuss what it means to engage healthfully and mindfully with technology and media;
- Make recommendations and suggestions for ways applications and platforms can be designed for healthy experiences; and
- Have the opportunity to connect directly with technology and healthcare professionals and to build connections with teens across the country who are interested in similar topics.
Council members will also have the opportunity to author content about digital wellness for young people and/or participate in deep-dive conversations about how the digital ecosystem affects young people’s mental and physical health in positive and negative ways.
2022-23 Student Advisory Council presentations to researchers and industry stakeholders →
Teen Voices
Council members are given the opportunity to author content about how the digital ecosystem affects young people’s mental and physical health in positive and negative ways. We are grateful to these students for sharing their experiences and incredibly insightful ideas for how to make technology and interactive media healthier for themselves and their peers.
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Teen Voices: Geo
Geo, a member of our 2023-24 Student Advisory Council, shares that when it comes to digital wellbeing and technology, the adult view that the absence of devices is optimal, is…
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Teen Voices: Sharon
Sharon, a member of our 2023-24 Student Advisory Council, shares what adults don’t understand about teens and the impact of social media on their lives, stressing that not all teens…
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Teen Voices: Brian Z.
Brian Z. is a member of the Digital Wellness Lab’s 2023-24 Student Advisory Council. He has thought deeply about how to make the internet healthier for young people.
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Teen Voices: Bansi
Bansi, a member of our 2023-24 Student Advisory Council, shares her point of view on the opportunities and challenges with technology, and how this impacts youth mental health.
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Teen Voices: Joshua
Joshua, a member of our 2023-24 Student Advisory Council, sheds light on how teens use technology and what parents and caregivers can do to help them adopt healthy habits.
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Teen Voices: Sydney W.
Sydney W. was a member of the Digital Wellness Lab’s 2022-23 Student Advisory Council. They share their thoughts on what parents, tech and media companies, and policymakers need to know…
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Teen Voices: Pritika K.
Pritika K. is a member of the Digital Wellness Lab’s 2023-24 Student Advisory Council. She shares what she would like to see changed to make tech healthier for teens, and…