Description of Initiative:
Kids today live in a digitally-saturated world, but we are only just beginning to understand how technology and interactive media affect their mental, physical, and social-emotional health and development and their ability to thrive. As technology is further embedded within our daily lives, it becomes increasingly important that we use science, rather than emotion, to make decisions about the design and use of interactive media.
The Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School seeks to understand and promote positive and productive digital media experiences for young people, from birth through young adulthood. We believe that by following the science, we can create an empathetic and respectful world in which our kids can grow up healthy, smart, and kind.
How is your initiative seeking to build digital environments that foster children’s well-being?
We develop an evidence base for digital wellness by conducting, translating, and distributing rigorous independent research on the positive and negative effects of technology and interactive media use on young people. We use the outputs of our own and others’ research, along with our clinical expertise, to advance digital wellness focused design, delivery, and marketing practices in the tech/media industry and to embed digital wellness within healthcare strategies.
How can people get involved or contribute to your initiative?
Stakeholders from across the world can become involved in the Digital Wellness Lab in a number of ways. Caregivers and educators can engage with our Family Digital Wellness Guide and associated resources, attend speaking engagements, and share what they’re learning with their networks, in person and via social media. We have an active presence on all major social media channels and produce a monthly newsletter (subscribe at https://digitalwellnesslab.org/about/newsletter/)
Organizations Involved
Boston Children’s Hospital
