Screen Deep

Humans of all ages are increasingly relying on AI chatbots as intimate and always-supportive social companions. What are the costs of this reliance on “pretend empathy” when it comes to the development of social abilities and our expectations of human empathy and relationships? On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry explores these questions with Sherry Turkle, PhD, MIT Professor and author of the new book, Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines. Dr. Turkle discusses the implications of human-like chatbots for children’s developing understanding of empathy and connection, and the societal impacts of accepting AI’s performance of these traits as replacements for the real thing. 

In this episode, you will learn:

• How reliance on “artificial intimacy” with AI chatbots erodes our capacity for human care, tolerance, and empathy
• Why constantly supportive AI tools make it more difficult to have real relationships which require navigating conflict or a different perspective
• The dangers to children – and society – of growing up thinking machine relationships can replace human ones
• How the business incentives behind AI tools encourage deeper attachment for profit 
• Why use of AI chatbots for therapy, which may provide short term support,  cannot replicate a caring human therapist
• How use of social media for emotional comfort has acted as a “gateway drug” to a more toxic attachment to chatbots

For more resources and research on this topic visit the Learn and Explore section of the Children and Screens website (https://www.childrenandscreens.org)

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Music: 'Life in Silico' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

The early egalitarian promise of an open and free internet has morphed over the past three decades into an algorithm-driven experience that is designed to addict and extract data and money from adults and children alike. 

In this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry is joined by renowned children’s digital rights advocate Baroness Beeban Kidron to learn how we got from “there” to “here” – and why making technology safer for children, rather than expecting children behave more safely on the internet, is a critical issue for our time. Kidron details why now is the “big tobacco” moment for tech platforms and child internet safety, and shares successful strategies for regulating tech platforms from the UK and Europe that could be used as a playbook for change elsewhere.

In this episode you will learn:

• Why the egalitarian promise of the early internet has led to a “generational injustice” of children being treated as adults online
• What designing and regulating the internet with the rights of children in mind should and could look like
• How the 5Rights Foundation and other organization are increasing child safety online through regulation in Europe – and why it’s harder to make progress in the United States
• How Kidron thinks the tech companies have controlled the narrative – and why they must be held to a “duty of care” towards children like any other business
• How the business model of today’s tech companies impedes them from independently making their platforms safer for children

For more resources and research on this topic visit the Learn and Explore section of the Children and Screens website (https://www.childrenandscreens.org)

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Follow Children and Screens on: 

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Instagram: @childrenandscreens
LinkedIn: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development
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Bluesky: @childrenandscreens.bsky.social

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Music: 'Life in Silico' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

Has the widespread use of "educational" technology and AI in schools led to declines in children’s learning outcomes and skill development, rather than promised improvements? In this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry is joined by author, educator, and neuroscientist Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath to discuss this and his updated book The Digital Delusion. Dr. Horvath outlines how the implementation of digital technologies in education has benefited corporations, not students or teachers. He explains the dangers of eliminating necessary cognitive “struggle” and offloading critical skill development in the name of efficiency. Tune in for insights on how the onslaught of AI in schools has intensified problematic trends in the edtech space, and what strategies teachers and parents can use to counteract these issues and help their children to better understand the necessarily messy process of learning.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why widespread tech adoption in schools has worsened – not improved – learning
• Which essential parts of teaching and learning are displaced by educational tech use
• Why tools like AI that boost efficiency for experts hinder learning for novices 
• How expecting children to use the same devices for school and learning that they use for entertainment is a losing battle
• What it means to take a “pro-learning” approach to tech in schools 
• Why teachers need parents to help push back against tech use in schools

For more resources and research on this topic visit the Learn and Explore section of the Children and Screens website (https://www.childrenandscreens.org)

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Follow Children and Screens on: 

Facebook: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development
Instagram: @childrenandscreens
LinkedIn: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development
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Bluesky: @childrenandscreens.bsky.social

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Music: 'Life in Silico' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

The usage of phones and tablets to help calm infants and young children in difficult moments is often effective in the moment – yet how is the development of self-calming skills affected by this common parenting practice long-term? On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry is joined by Dr. Peter Reschke, Associate Professor of Human Development at Brigham Young University and expert on early emotion and social development. Dr. Reschke details how babies and young children develop an understanding of emotions, why infant-caregiver interactions are critical for development, and shares recent research on how regularly using media at early ages to cope with negative emotions can affect later behavior and problematic media use.

In this episode, you will learn:

1. The powerful role parents play in helping infants and young children develop the skills to recognize, express, and regulate emotions
2. Why watching media together (known as  “co-viewing”) with young children can positively impact emotional development (and why solo media use may be disruptive) 
3. What the research says about giving phones and tablets to calm children  (and healthier ways to help them cope with difficult emotions)
4. How regular use of media or devices for emotion regulation in early childhood predicts problematic media use in later childhood
5. How an infant's nervous system reacts physiologically when parents are digitally distracted, according to research

For more resources and research on this topic visit the Learn and Explore section of the Children and Screens website (https://www.childrenandscreens.org)

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Follow Children and Screens on: 

Facebook: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development
Instagram: @childrenandscreens
LinkedIn: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development
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Bluesky: @childrenandscreens.bsky.social

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Music: 'Life in Silico' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

The rise of AI is often presented as an opportunity to make parenting easier, but what happens when technology begins to replace, rather than support, the human interactions children need most? 

On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry dives into this timely question with Dr. Dana Suskind, Founder and Co-Director of the TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health and author of the book, Human Raised: Nurturing Connection, Curiosity, and Lifelong Learning in the Age of AI. Dr. Suskind highlights the importance of back-and-forth human interactions in early development, and shares which AI trends parents should be most wary of. She provides guidance for evaluating the use of AI tools, including using it to enhance, not replace, parenting. 

In this episode, you will learn:

• Which essential “human” parts of parenting cannot be offloaded onto AI
• Why AI can be integrated as a parenting “copilot” – but never the pilot
• Five risky AI behaviors to watch for in parenting or child use of AI
• Four value principles you can use as a framework for making intentional choices about AI
• The human skills parents should help their children develop to flourish in the AI age
• How to evaluate AI tools for use in family life

For more resources and research on this topic visit the Learn and Explore section of the Children and Screens website (https://www.childrenandscreens.org)

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Follow Children and Screens on: 

Facebook: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development
Instagram: @childrenandscreens
LinkedIn: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development
X: @childrenscreens
Bluesky: @childrenandscreens.bsky.social

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Music: 'Life in Silico' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

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’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors? On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry interviews Dr. Liselot Hudders, Professor of Marketing Ethics at Ghent University, to unpack her research on how influencing works, why influencers produce content aimed at youth, what children understand about digital advertising techniques, and how policy plays an important role in protecting children from deceptive marketing. She also explores issues around “kidfluencers” and the use of children in parent influencer content. 

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 to counteract negative impacts of influencer content on children

For more resources and research on this topic visit the Learn and Explore section of the Children and Screens website (https://www.childrenandscreens.org)

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Follow Children and Screens on: 

Facebook: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development
Instagram: @childrenandscreens
LinkedIn: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development
X: @childrenscreens
Bluesky: @childrenandscreens.bsky.social

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Music: 'Life in Silico' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

Children today are inundated with sophisticated marketing and ads online, particularly for unhealthy foods which can contribute to obesity and other negative health impacts. On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry is joined by food policy expert and leader in the fight against childhood obesity Dr. Kelly Brownell to discuss the ways in which this “toxic food environment” impacts children’s health and well-being. Dr. Brownell explores the addictive nature of highly processed and sugary foods and beverages, and draws parallels between the food and social media industries on how they prey on children’s vulnerabilities. He emphasizes the importance of policy solutions to help families cope with the powerful effect of food advertising on children’s health.

In this episode, you will learn:

• 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 tobacco industry’s use of ingredients to manipulate desire and increase product appeal and dependence

For more resources and research on this topic visit the Learn and Explore section of the Children and Screens website (https://www.childrenandscreens.org)

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Follow Children and Screens on: 

Facebook: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development
Instagram: @childrenandscreens
LinkedIn: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development
X: @childrenscreens
Bluesky: @childrenandscreens.bsky.social

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Music: 'Life in Silico' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

For decades, researchers have studied why babies and young children learn differently from screens than they do from real-world experiences. On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry is joined by Dr. Rachel Barr, Professor of Psychology at Georgetown University and a leading expert in early childhood and digital media. Dr. Barr describes why it’s difficult for young children to learn from digital media, a concept called the “video transfer deficit effect,” and explains which specific features of high quality media paired with parenting practices can support learning and development. Dr. Barr also describes why video chatting is often an exception to screen time guidelines, how family media plans can help family relationships, and the importance of considering children’s environments holistically when studying how they interact with and are impacted by digital media.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why it can be difficult for young children to learn from digital media and how researchers discovered the “transfer deficit effect” 
• How parental guidance and educational app design can make learning from media easier for children
• What features to look for in educational shows and apps 
• One expert-recommended app for young children and what makes it stand out 
• Why thinking more expansively beyond “screen time” is essential for evaluating your child’s media use
• How parents’ own media use — and how they talk about it with their children — can shape family relationships

For more resources and research on this topic visit the Learn and Explore section of the Children and Screens website (https://www.childrenandscreens.org)

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Follow Children and Screens on: 

Facebook: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development
Instagram: @childrenandscreens
LinkedIn: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development
X: @childrenscreens
Bluesky: @childrenandscreens.bsky.social

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Music: 'Life in Silico' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

As courts increasingly examine the impact of social media on young people, new legal approaches are beginning to reshape how responsibility for harms are understood, shifting the focus from content to platform design. On this special episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry speaks with Matthew Bergman, founding attorney of the Social Media Victims Law Center, professor of Lewis & Clark Law School, and a member of Children and Screens’ Scientific Advisory Board. Bergman also served on the legal team representing the plaintiff in a landmark case examining the impact  of social media platform design on youth.

Together, Kris and Matt explore why it has historically been difficult to bring lawsuits against technology companies, how recent litigation strategies are more effective than past efforts, and what these developments could mean for the future of platform accountability.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why social media companies have historically avoided accountability for harm encountered through their products, and how that may be changing 
• How recent lawsuits have uncovered key internal evidence that social media platforms were designed to be addictive to young users despite known risks 
• How legal experts are using scientific research and product liability law to help define harms to youth and establish social media platform accountability
• Why recent lawsuits are focusing on social media platform design rather than content, and why that matters 
• Why legislative change is needed to assist the effort to enforce social media platform transparency and accountability

For more resources and research on this topic visit the Learn and Explore section of the Children and Screens website (https://www.childrenandscreens.org)

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Follow Children and Screens on: 

Facebook: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development
Instagram: @childrenandscreens
LinkedIn: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development
X: @childrenscreens
Bluesky: @childrenandscreens.bsky.social

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Music: 'Life in Silico' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

How is digital media use rewiring children’s brains – and how can these impacts be measured? In this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry discusses the latest research on screen use and brain development with Dr. Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education in Science and Technology and the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Dr. Horowitz-Kraus provides an overview of how the brain processes language and reading, what her brain imaging research shows about how these processes and related cognitive skills work differently with digital media, as well as how the presence of mobile phones and other technology can disrupt attention.

In this episode, you will learn:

• What brain imaging is revealing about how screen use affects the developing brains of children
• Why specific areas of the brain and the networks that connect them each matter for child reading and language development
• How to read to your child to engage attention and creativity
• Differences in how print versus digital reading activate cognitive regions in the brain
• How the mere physical presence of a smartphone can affect children’s attention, impulse control, and task performance

For more resources and research on this topic visit the Learn and Explore section of the Children and Screens website (https://www.childrenandscreens.org)

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Follow Children and Screens on: 

Facebook: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development
Instagram: @childrenandscreens
LinkedIn: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development
X: @childrenscreens
Bluesky: @childrenandscreens.bsky.social

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Music: 'Life in Silico' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au