Center for Digital Thriving

Rapid advances in technology can generate feelings of anxiety, fear, and a loss of control. At the Center for Digital Thriving, we build on insights from young people who are living and growing with unprecedented connectivity. We are building resources and developing research that helps young people—and all of us—redefine our relationships with technology. Instead of feeling controlled by or tethered to tech, we envision people feeling empowered to use tech to lead rich, fulfilling lives.

Our guiding questions are:

• What does thriving look like in a world with unprecedented connectivity and rapid technological growth?
• What types of support do people—and especially kids and teens—need to thrive in a tech-filled world?

Youth are the center of our work and our mission. Young people are commonly perceived as simply “addicted” to technology, mindlessly using their devices in unproductive and unhealthy ways with little regard for the risks involved. This frame underestimates the complex experiences youth have and ignores the positives that tech can afford. Our research has demonstrated that youth are often mindful of drawbacks and risks, and they are motivated to lead healthy lives with technology. Yet, they do have many real pain points related to their tech use and the ways tech is reshaping the world around them. Our center is conducting and supporting translational research and the development of  practical resources that support youth in reflecting on the role of tech in their lives and empowering them to make changes for their own and others’ well-being. 

We are collaborating with Common Sense Education to co-create artfully-designed, evidence-based, youth-centered resources for use in schools, peer-to-peer contexts, at home, and in clinical settings. These resources are co-designed with youth as key partners and sources of expertise, and with equity as a guiding principle.

We are working with Sophia Choukas-Bradley, the Center’s Clinical Psychology Lead, to develop these resources. She will lead the randomized controlled trial to assess the effects of these resources on adolescents' social media use and well-being.

Visit our website for our latest research and resources.