Into the Digital Future: Technology and Children’s Well-Being

The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and Roblox are thrilled to announce the third season of Into the Digital Future, our podcast that explores the complexities of parenting in the digital age. This season, hosts Jordan Shapiro (Cooney Center Senior Fellow and author of Father Figure: How to be a Feminist Dad and The New Childhood: Raising Kids to Thrive in a Connected World) and Laura Higgins (Senior Director of Community Safety & Digital Civility at Roblox) dig into the complexities of well-being for young people in a world that is increasingly digital.

This season, Jordan and Laura acknowledge the many concerns that adults have about screen time and children’s well-being. They speak with experts who really understand child development and understand the nuances of kids’ digital lives, including researchers, health professionals, and technology experts; please tune in as they dig deep into the topics that are top of mind for so many parents and caregivers. Together, they move beyond a discourse of shame, guilt, and restriction and offer parents and caregivers a more nuanced view of technology’s role in our children’s lives.

We hope you will enjoy this series of fun, thought-provoking conversations about kids, social media, and the role of technology in our lives — and how our thinking about “screen time” can no longer be an all-or-nothing approach. We kick things off with UNICEF’s Dr. Shuli Gilutz for a thought-provoking discussion about children’s rights in the digital space and how UNICEF is developing tools and engaging with the tech industry and designers to protect these rights. In the com ing weeks, we’ll hear from Dr. Lisa Damour, a clinical psychologist and the author of several best-selling books about adolescents including The Emotional Lives of Teenagers, who assures us that when used well, technology can help kids tame their emotions. Dr. Earl Turner, Founder and Executive Director of  Therapy for Black Kids, talks about some of the unique challenges faced by marginalized youth in the digital age and the importance of inclusive digital spaces. Sameer Hinduja, Professor of Criminology at Florida Atlantic University and Co-Director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, opens our eyes to digital self-harm and the role that social media can play in fostering a sense of connection and support for young people. Lucy Thomas, co-founder of Project Rocket, talks about why it’s so important to include young people in shaping the digital landscape. And Dr. Michael Rich, a pediatrician, researcher, and author of The Mediatrician’s Guide: A Joyful Approach to Raising Healthy, Smart, Kind Kids in a Screen Saturated World, assures us that the kids are alright–especially if the adults in their lives model positive behavior with screens themselves.

Please join us for this exciting new season –  and please share with friends and colleagues!

You can find us on your favorite podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and YouTube.