Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development

06/18/2026

Join our newsletter email list! ScreenShots brings you the latest research on the impacts of on and new free parenting resources from Children and Screens along with policy updates and more!

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06/17/2026

influencers have transformed the world of online advertising, capitalizing on parasocial relationships to influence children and adults alike. How do influencers and their sponsored content impact children’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors?

NEW ! Host Kris Perry explores the current social media marketing landscape with expert Liselot Hudders, PhD, to unpack her research on how influencing works, why influencers produce content aimed at youth, what children understand about digital advertising techniques, the role policy plays in protecting children from deceptive marketing, and the rise of “kidinfluencers.”

In this episode, you will learn:
✔️ Why children trust influencers and how it shapes their behavior
✔️ How technological advances are allowing increasingly sophisticated influencer marketing techniques to reach kids
✔️ Why sponsored content can be hard for children to recognize
✔️ What influencer financial disclosures don’t accomplish (and why they are easy to miss)
✔️ What parents can do to counteract negative impacts of influencer content on children

Dive in 🔊 https://bit.ly/4aOQvxJ

Date June 2026 Episode 033 Guest Liselot Hudders, PhD Topics Advertising and Marketing Social Media The rise of influencers has changed the conversation around advertising, marketing, and behavior change in adults as well as children. How do influencers and their sponsored content impact children’...

06/16/2026

What small, actionable changes can parents and caregivers make to promote children’s social development and establish healthy media habits in their households? 👨📲👦

The expert-backed parenting “The ‘Social Brain’ on Screens” offers practical, evidence-based strategies for supporting social cognition in children and adolescents in the , from how to foster strong parent-child connections at home to simple practices to incorporate into media routines.

Read the full tip sheet now for more ! https://bit.ly/3S3o4G6

06/15/2026

Does co-using media with children boost their social development?

A recent study of over 5,000 children under the age of 7 found that children who co-used media with their parents (talking, watching, or playing together) demonstrated more prosocial behaviors. Screen time and parental limits around media use were not associated with prosocial behaviors.

Dive into the study: https://bit.ly/3SGC5tk

06/12/2026

“We know that sexual and gender minority teens need opportunities to explore their identities, but they may also be at risk of sharing information privately that is then made public,” shares psychologist Anne Maheux, PhD, in this short.

Learn more about how to help youth exploring their sexuality and identity online with expert-led, research-based tips in the Children and Screens Ages 11-18 Guide 🔗 https://bit.ly/3OZrY0U

06/11/2026

Discover the big "Do's" and "Don'ts" for elementary schoolers’ healthy use and optimal development in the research-backed “Children and Screens Guide for Child Development and Media Use: Middle Childhood Ages 6-11.”

Learn practical recommendations and research-based insights for supporting your child’s well-being in the from leading experts in the field, including:

📋 The Big Do’s and Don’ts
🧑‍💻 What to allow -- considerations for children’s media content
🧠💭 Tips for social and cognitive development
📴Training wheels -- parenting tips for supporting healthy media use
📱The big question -- when to get a first phone
📵 What content to allow
🗣️Talk it out -- tips for conversations with kids about media and content
➕And MORE

Download your free copy of the guide now ➡️ https://bit.ly/48LiUUY

06/11/2026

Early childhood classrooms are uniquely important environments for fostering the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical experiences that young children need to thrive – what do experts and leading researchers have to say about the presence of screens in preschools?

A new Children and Screens Evidence Council vote 🗳️ landed 7-2 in favor of screen-free Pre-K classrooms.

Key arguments included:

• Social and emotional development: Face-to-face interactions help young children develop communication skills, emotional understanding, and healthy relationships

• The importance of play: Real and imaginary play, movement, creativity, and hands-on experiences are essential components of early learning and development

• Displacement of healthy activities: Screen use can replace physical activity, peer engagement, and exploratory learning, even when the content itself is considered high quality

• Risk of developmental harm: Research suggests excessive screen exposure in early childhood is associated with increased risks of attention problems, language and social delays, behavioral challenges, and sleep disruption

What this means for early childhood classrooms 👉 https://bit.ly/43ymY7E

06/10/2026

tools are increasingly being deployed in classrooms and other learning environments nationwide - typically without educator training or proof of child learning efficacy before being introduced.

What does the research say about the risks of AI use for learning and in classrooms? How can educators and families navigate the impacts of AI in education on children’s cognition and development?

Read the NEW “AI in Education - What the Research Says” for evidence-backed insights and tips for educators and families grappling with the new AI-driven K-12 environment.

Learn from leading experts about AI in the classroom, including:
✔️ How kids are using AI for schoolwork
✔️ What challenges teachers face in evaluating children’s use of AI for assignments
✔️ How AI use in classrooms can pose risks for children’s developing cognition, expose youth to misinformation, and interfere with learning via distracting app design
✔️ How educators can evaluate and use AI for learning
✔️How parents can support independent skill development and AI literacy

Access the tip sheet NOW ➡️ https://bit.ly/4o7qXBp

06/10/2026

AI is weaving itself into the daily lives of youth and adults alike. What does the research say about how the widespread use of chatbots is affecting children and adolescents?

Visit Children and Screens’ research library NOW for resources on the impact of AI use on children and teens, featuring research-backed insights and practical strategies to build AI literacy and protect and well-being.

Browse our free resources here 👉 https://bit.ly/49QnG3N

The tech children use is evolving at a dizzying pace, making it difficult for families to keep up. What do parents need to know to best support child health and safety?

06/09/2026

Food companies center their child-targeted marketing strategies on overwhelming youth with advertising for their least healthy products, says food policy expert and psychologist Kelly Brownell, PhD, in this clip from the latest episode of .

From how advertisers target children to the real health effects on youth of constant exposure to these messages, Dr. Brownell breaks down the marketing tactics of the “toxic food environment” and how they create a pathway to addictive behaviors.

Watch the full episode to learn more from Dr. Brownell about:
📲 How screen use is linked to childhood obesity
🍔🍇 How daily exposure to large amounts of food advertising influences child and adolescent food choices and behaviors
💸 Why the food industry is incentivized to market unhealthy and addictive foods to children starting at young ages
🏛️ Why parents need support from policymakers and regulators to help protect children from the health effects of unhealthy online food marketing
🔎 The similarities between the food industry’s use of additives and the to***co industry’s use of ingredients to manipulate desire and increase product appeal and dependence

Stream the podcast NOW 🔊 https://bit.ly/4tYmWk4