Center for Digital Thriving

Young people are often labeled as simply “addicted” to technology, mindlessly using their devices in unproductive and unhealthy ways. However, our 10+ years of research shows that young people are often aware of the drawbacks and risks with tech. They are motivated to lead healthy lives with tech, but they need support. 

The Center for Digital Thriving is dedicated to creating resources and developing research that help young people — and all of us — repair and reimagine our relationship with technology. Instead of feeling controlled by or tethered to tech, we envision people — especially teens — feeling empowered to use tech to lead rich, fulfilling lives.

We collaborate with youth, psychologists, artists and other experts to create resources that resonate with teens’ real experiences with technology:

• Anyone of any age can use our first app, Tech + Values, to begin reflecting on how their own tech use helps and/or hurts them.

• We offer practical advice to parents and teachers about how to have actually helpful conversations about tech, how to foster teens’  digital agency, and how to replace eyerolls with empathy.

• Our co-founders, Emily Weinstein and Carrie James, wrote the book Behind Their Screens to help adults understand what they’ve been missing about the complexity of teens’ lives with tech.

• In partnership with Common Sense Education, we developed evidence-based lessons and materials for use in schools, peer-to-peer settings, homes, and clinical environments (there’s more on the way!).

• Under the leadership of our Clinical Psychology Lead, Sophia Choukas-Bradley and her Teen and Young Adult Lab, we will complete a randomized controlled trial to assess the effects of our resources on adolescents' social media use and well-being.

Explore our latest research below and join us on our socials.