Chiara Fehr

As part of the early stages of her PhD study, our latest researcher of the month, Chiara Fehr, ran several focus groups about experiences of TikTok with eight 17 year old girls. Using creative methods, such as  ‘TikTok show and tells’ a collaging session and a utopic mapping exercise, Chiara is exploring whether dominant narratives around growing up in a digitised world reflect the real life experiences of teens, and has summarised her findings so far in a 

Chiara Fehr's research looks into algorithmically facilitated self making amongst teenagers, exploring how platform infrastructures, such as that of TikTok and Instagram influence iterations of contemporary girlhood. Central to her work is an interest in the complex gendered inequalities which emerge in an increasingly digitised world.

Algorithmised Girlhood: Teenage Girls and TikTok

Professor Cara Swit

We're all used to reading about children and young people's increasing use of digital tech. But what about adults' use? And what impact might our tech use have on family life? 

Parents today are spending an unprecedented amount of time on their devices. One 

 found that parents spend an average of nine hours per day engaged with screen devices. Over four hours of this is on smartphones, averaging 67 phone checks per day. Despite children's central role in family life, their voices and perspectives on the device use of the adults around them have been largely neglected in research. 

Along with colleagues, our latest Researcher of the Month, Professor Cara Swit, has published a fascinating 

 exploring the experiences and perceptions of children aged six to nine about their parents’ device use at home and its impact on them.

As a leader in early childhood social development in Aotearoa, Professor Swit specialises in researching the critical developmental period of early childhood (0-8 years). She is particularly interested in how children's reciprocal interactions with peers and adults during this period profoundly influence their lifelong success. Supportive parent-child interactions are a key driver of wellbeing and resilience. For school age children, parental interactions and experiences set the foundation for their relationships with peers and teachers. Understanding the various factors that strengthen and weaken supportive parent-child interactions is therefore central to the development, growth, and advancement of young children’s social, emotional, and psychological wellbeing. A core contribution of her research is the development of novel, developmentally-appropriate measures for young children, enabling children’s participation in research, including incorporating emerging technologies, such as animations and video stimulated interviews, to gain insight into children’s perspectives of their social interactions with peers. 

Professor Cara Swit specialises in researching the critical developmental period of early childhood. She is particularly interested in how children's reciprocal interactions with peers and adults during this period profoundly influence their lifelong success. A core contribution of her research is the development of novel, developmentally-appropriate measures for young children, enabling children’s participation in research, including incorporating emerging technologies, such as animations and video stimulated interviews, to gain insight into children’s perspectives of their social interactions with peers. 

Along with co-authors, Professor Smit has recently published a 

 exploring young children’s perceptions of their parents’ digital device use.

“[They use devices] alllllllll day long”. What do children think about our tech use?

Dr Megan Reynolds

In recent years, banning or restricting children’s access to smartphones and social media has grasped the attention of policy makers, schools and parents. A number of countries, including France, Turkey, Norway, Sweden, and regions of the US and Canada have introduced laws, policies or guidance for schools to ‘ban’ or heavily restrict the use of phones. Within Ireland, in 2024, the Minister for Education announced her intention to introduce smartphone bans in post-primary schools, whilst at the same time acknowledging that individual schools are best placed to decide on the scope and scale of restrictions for their students. 

Whilst these bans aim to protect children from harm, and teachers often anecdotally report seeing benefits, evaluations of existing research highlight a lack of evidence on their efficacy. At the moment, we simply don't know enough about the impact of bans. Evidence is hampered by the fact that technological developments and technology use is moving at a faster pace than research. Some studies  suggest that bans are beneficial to academic outcomes and mental wellbeing. Others suggest no effects. However, many studies have methodological weaknesses, use small samples or retrospective data, and can't ascribe causal mechanisms.

Our latest Researcher of the Month, Dr Megan Reynolds, has recently published a 

 which explores young people's perspectives and experiences of smartphone bans in their schools. Unlike most previous research, it centres student voices in this high profile issue.

Dr Megan Reynolds is a postdoctoral researcher at the Anti-Bullying Centre at Dublin City University. She's working on the Cilter DTIF project, which focuses on the detection of cyberbullying, self-harm, suicide-related and grooming content for the development of Cilter technology. Previously, Dr Reynolds was a postdoctoral research fellow in the School of Psychology at University College Dublin, where she worked on a project investigating COVID-19 misinformation. She obtained her PhD from Queen's University Belfast and her PhD thesis investigated unwanted sexual experiences, mental health impacts, alcohol use and consent on university campuses in Northern Ireland. Prior to her PhD, Dr Reynolds obtained an MSc in Forensic Psychology at the University of Central Lancashire.

Dr Megan Reynolds is a psychology researcher, who has expertise in sexual violence, consent, mental health and online harms. She has published academic articles and reports on a variety of topics, such as smartphone bans, youth online engagement, ethical challenges in sensitive research and in children and young people research, online harms and safety, and sexual violence and consent.

Along with co-authors, Dr Reynolds has recently published a 

 exploring how existing smartphone bans are experienced and understood by students.

Students’ views on smartphone bans

Luisa Fassi

As Luisa Fassi, our new Researcher of the Month, comments, "The link between social media use and youth mental health is hotly debated, but hardly any studies look at young people already struggling with clinical-level mental health symptoms". In fact, Luisa's 

large systematic review and meta-analysis

 found that only 11% of papers published on the topic since 2007 focused on young people with clinical conditions. Her review also showed that the data used to evidence mental health conditions in these existing studies is not always strong or especially robust. Many report links between social media and mental health on the basis of short self-report questionnaires, where young people are asked about symptoms. 

Whilst this wasn't found as part of Luisa's review, it is also the case that very few papers in the field differentiate between different mental health conditions, or examine different symptoms or conditions (such as anxiety, ADHD or eating disorders) in isolation. 

To address this research gap, Luisa and colleagues have recently published a fascinating and nuanced 

It analyses both quantitative and qualitative dimensions of social media use from a nationally representative survey of 3,340 teens in the UK aged between 11 and 19 years old, which was conducted by NHS Digital in 2017. Rather than gathering mental health data from self-report questionnaires, the young people in the survey underwent a full clinical screening, which included interviews with the young people, their parents and teachers. Information about social media use came from questionnaires completed by participants. They were not asked about specific platforms. Luisa used this data to gather novel insights into how social media and mental health are related in teens who both meet and do not meet diagnostic criteria for a wide range of mental health conditions. 

The study does not establish any causal links, but it does reveals a range of differences between young people with and without mental health conditions when it comes to social media.

Louisa Fassi is a PhD researcher at the University of Cambridge, working across the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit and the Department of Psychiatry. Her research, which was recently recognised by the Psychology of Technology Dissertation Award, focuses on studying the relationship between social media use and adolescents' mental health. She previously completed a Masters in Psychological Research at the University of Oxford. Her academic background spans molecular psychiatry, cognitive psychology and neuroscience. Louisa is also an active promoter of open research practices and chairs the Open Science Committee at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit.

Luisa studies the relationship between social media use and adolescents' mental health. 

Along with co-authors, Luisa has recently published a 

 which explores social media use in teens with and without clinical level mental health conditions.

Do teens with mental health conditions use social media differently than their peers?

Roxana Pomplun

Our latest researcher of the month, Roxana Pomplun, has investigated the interactions, experiences and perceptions of younger adolescents, aged 11, 12, and 13, with algorithmically curated platforms such as TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Spotlight on Snapchat and Reels on Instagram. These kinds of platforms use algorithms to personalise and tailor feeds, harnessing user data to suggest content that the individual is most likely to be interested in and engage with. As such, young people have little control over what they are seeing in their feeds. Tech companies are not yet required to be transparent about the data that they are collecting, but it tends to include demographic information such as age, gender or location, along with use patterns. 

Whilst these sites dominate the digital lives of tweens and teens, until now they have received little dedicated research attention, particularly in relation to younger users, with most existing studies focusing on older teens. 

Whilst we know that most social media platforms have age limits of 13, we also know that many younger children are active users, particularly of algorithmically curated platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Given that early adolescence is a life phase marked by critical neurological development, identity development and heightened susceptibility to mental health issues, deepening our understanding of how younger adolescents engage with social media is vital. 

Roxana's qualitative research, where a group of young people eloquently explore their own experiences and perceptions, broadens our knowledge of social media use within an age group that appears increasingly aware of the digital influences shaping their online experiences, yet which is still in need of support to fully navigate these ecosystems.

Roxana has just passed the viva voce for her NIHR-funded PhD in Applied Health Research at the University of Kent. Her research has focused on younger adolescents’ (aged 11-13) interactions with algorithmically curated social media, particularly short-form video platforms (e.g. TikTok, YouTube Shorts). Roxana has now started working as a Child Safety Researcher at ActiveFence, continuing her aspiration for making the internet a safer place for children and young people.

Roxana's research focuses on younger adolescents’ (aged 11-13) interactions with algorithmically curated social media, particularly short-form video platforms (e.g. TikTok, YouTube Shorts). Her findings are currently being prepared for publication.

Navigating the feed: younger adolescents' reflections on algorithmically curated social media

Professor Victoria Goodyear

Over the last year or so, there has been a surge in public concern around smartphones and social media. Banning or restricting children’s access to smartphones and social media has grasped the attention of policy makers, schools and parents. A number of countries, including France, Turkey, Norway, Sweden, and regions of the US and Canada have introduced laws, policies or guidance for schools to ‘ban’ or heavily restrict the use of phones. In the UK, there are proposals to raise the age of ‘internet adulthood’ from 13 to 16, and to ban smartphones in schools. The third reading of a 

 on this topic will be heard in parliament in July.

Whilst these bans aim to protect children from harm, recent studies highlight a lack of evidence on their efficacy. 

Along with a team of international experts, our latest Researcher of the Month, Professor Victoria Goodyear, 

 that, in isolation, banning smartphone and social media access fails to equip children for healthy use of technology. She suggests that there is a need to shift debates, policies and practices away from a sole focus on restricting smartphone and social media access, toward an emphasis on nurturing children’s digital skills for healthy technology use, and a rights-respecting approach which is underpinned by age-appropriate design and education.

Professor Victoria Goodyear is Professor of Physical Activity, Health and Wellbeing at the University of Birmingham. Professor Goodyear is a teacher by background, and an academic expert in school-based research on youth health and wellbeing. A key focus of her work is on digital technologies, relating to how smartphones and social media inform young people’s mental health, wellbeing and physical activity. She has recently led a large NIHR funded study evaluating the impacts of school smartphone policies – SMART Schools – on adolescent mental health and wellbeing.

Professor Victoria Goodyear's key focus is how smartphones and social media inform young people’s mental health, wellbeing and physical activity.

Along with an international group of co-authors, Professor Goodyear has recently published a 

 which argues that there is a need to shift debates, policies and practices from a sole focus on restricting smartphone and social media access toward an emphasis on nurturing children’s digital skills for healthy technology use.

Looking beyond smartphone bans

Dr Kathryn Hesketh and Professor Helen Dodd

Tune into our podcast interview with April's researchers of the month 

As well as providing numerous opportunities for exploration, joy, and expression, outdoor and adventurous play - the type of play that allows children to take age-appropriate risks - is associated with a range of positive health behaviours and outcomes. Yes, we're talking about the kind of play that might leave us adults with our hearts in our mouths at times, as children start to disappear up a tree, or engage in a rough and tumble game of chase. But its benefits are wide-ranging and known impacts include increased levels of habitual physical activity alongside better mental health and positive mood. 

 In 2019, Dr Hesketh was involved in the creation of 

 in the UK, which explicitly note the importance of outdoor play for children in the preschool age group. We know quite a lot about the play habits of school-aged children, but until now, have had significantly less data on their younger counterparts. 

Our Researchers of the Month, Dr Kathryn Hesketh and Professor Helen Dodd set out to discover how much time preschool-aged children spend playing in a range of indoor and outdoor spaces, and how adventurously they are playing within them. In the first national survey of play in children of this age, they asked over 1000 parents of two to four year olds about their children’s play habits, finding that, on average, children aged two to four spend around four hours per day (outside of educational settings) playing. Just under 50% of this was spent playing outdoors. Their findings shed interesting light on some inequalities in play, even in the youngest age group, which may exacerbate existing inequalities in health.

 is a Behavioural Epidemiologist and Principal Research Fellow at University College London. She is an expert in movement behaviours during the transition to parenthood and during the first five years of life. Kathryn is a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow – her programme of work seeks to understand how movement behaviours influence health and wellbeing, and how we can better promote physical activity and play during pregnancy, postnatally, and in the preschool period.

is Professor of Child Psychology at the University of Exeter Medical School. She is an expert in children’s play and mental health, with a particular interest in child anxiety. She also holds a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship, which funds her research programme examining the role of adventurous play in preventing anxiety.

 (pictured) is a Behavioural Epidemiologist and Principal Research Fellow at University College London. She is an expert in movement behaviours during the transition to parenthood and during the first five years of life, seeking to understand how we can better promote physical activity and play during pregnancy, postnatally, and in the preschool period. 

is Professor of Child Psychology at the University of Exeter Medical School. She is an expert in children’s play and mental health, with a particular interest in child anxiety. 

Dr Hesketh and Professor Dodd have recently published the 

 of the British Preschool Children’s Play Survey, which aimed to assess when, where and how adventurously young children in the UK are playing.

Encouraging adventurous play in the preschool years

Professor Judy Hutchings OBE

Bullying is an extremely important public mental health risk. Around one in five primary school children report being bullied at least weekly. Children who are bullied are more likely to experience depression and anxiety, and are at heightened risk of mental health issues in adolescence and adulthood. Whilst schools in England and Wales are required to have anti-bullying policies, rates of bullying remain high. Bullying is preventable, but schools need more help to tackle it. Typically, school policies focus on how to handle bullying once it happens. However, evidence suggests that a comprehensive approach involving the entire school to prevent bullying, alongside clear strategies for addressing confirmed cases, is the most effective way to tackle the issue.

 is one such whole-school approach, developed in Finland by 

. A large study in Finland which involved 28,000 primary school pupils found that adopting the KiVa programme in Finnish schools significantly reduced bullying and improved children's mental wellbeing. The programme has since been rolled out nationally by the Finnish government and ongoing use of KiVa in Finnish schools is associated with year-on-year incremental reductions in bullying.

Along with colleagues, our researcher of the month, 

, has tested the effectiveness of the KiVa Programme in UK primary schools. The study involved over 11,000 children in Wales, Birmingham, Oxfordshire and Devon, and showed a 13% reduction in reported rates of bullying when compared with existing school approaches to tackle bullying.

Since the 1980s, Professor Hutchings has developed, researched and published extensively on parenting programmes, targeting parents of young, mainly preschool, children with a focus on addressing social
disadvantage. Her work has been pragmatic, working with the staff of statutory and voluntary agencies as a consultant clinical psychologist within the NHS and a researcher in academia. Professor Hutchings worked with the Westminster Government through the 2000s supporting the Sure Start initiative and contributing to Cabinet office discussions. She has worked with schools evaluating social emotional programmes for universal and targeted populations, the most recent of which was a successful randomised controlled trial of the Finnish 

 with 11000 children. Her current parenting work includes three small trials of 

, a dialogic reading programme for parents and school-based staff with 3-5 year olds that successfully promotes children’s language skills and school readiness, and 

 with UNICEF to support parenting in global south countries.

Dr Hutchings' most recent work has been a successful UK randomised controlled trial of the Finnish 

, with 11000 children. Her current parenting work also includes three small trials of 

, a dialogic reading programme for parents and school-based staff with three to five year olds that successfully promotes children’s language skills and school readiness, and 

Along with co-authors, Professor Hutchings has recently published the 

 of the KiVa anti-bullying programme trial, finding it to be effective in reducing bullying victimisation.

Fostering a school culture against bullying: the KiVa Programme

Dr Kim Sylwander

Currently, children's and young people’s use of digital technology is rarely out of the news. Age limits are debated. Calls for stronger limits are made, and questions are raised regarding whether society should ban 'under-age' children from various aspects of the digital world. 13 years of age is often cited as a digital 'age of consent', though this varies in some countries. Commonly used age limits are largely arbitrary, based primarily on US legislation, rather than evidence. In a 

, our researcher of the month, Dr Kim Sylwander, and her co-author Professor Sonia Livingstone, consider age milestones and evaluate whether or not the evidence supports them. 

Are age limits the optimal way to regulate children’s digital experiences? Does it matter that they are widely contested and often poorly implemented? And are common boundaries even the “right” age, according to evidence from the field of children and digital media? Dr Sylwander persuasively argues that moving forward, a developmental approach can better support children’s rights.

Dr Kim Sylwander is a postdoctoral researcher at the 

 research centre at the London School of Economics and Political Science. This joint LSE and 

 centre facilitates research for a rights-respecting digital world for children. Dr Sylwander holds a PhD in Child and Youth studies and has conducted post-doctoral research at the Centre for Sexology and Sexuality Studies at Malmö University. She has also been an appointed expert in government inquiries in Sweden on sexual exploitation and the effects of digital media on children. Her work has focused on children, youth and media, touching on issues such as online hate, racism, bullying, sexuality, sexualisation, digital gender-based violence, consumption of pornography, and online child sexual exploitation and abuse. Dr Sylwander has headed various research projects within academia, the UN, civil society, and within government agencies. Her current research projects focus on children’s rights in the digital world. She is currently researching the impact of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s General comment no. 25; the evolving capacities of children in relation to their rights in the digital environments and she is also involved in projects on children’s visions of digital futures and AI.

Dr Sylwander's current research projects focus on children’s rights in the digital world. She is currently researching the impact of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s General comment no. 25; the evolving capacities of children in relation to their rights in the digital environments, and she is also involved in projects on children’s visions of digital futures and AI.

Along with co-author, Professor Sonia Livingstone, Dr Sylwander has recently published a 

 which deploys a children’s rights framework to evaluate milestone birthdays as they are applied to the digital environment and the digital 'age of consent'. They highlight emerging alternatives that seek to redesign digital policy and practice in age-appropriate and child-rights-respecting ways.

When is the right age? Searching for age-appropriate ways to support children's online lives

Professor Li Zhao

A new study which explores the development of trust and integrity in children has found that expressing trust in young children encourages them to behave honesty. The research team, including our researcher of the month, Professor Li Zhao, studied whether children were less likely to cheat in a simple test of counting accuracy if the adult administering the test had previously conveyed trust in them. They found that children who were trusted cheated less than those who were not trusted. These findings provide novel evidence about the causal effect of trust on the development of children's honesty.

Professor Li Zhao was made Professor of Psychology at Hangzhou Normal University, China in 2018. Between 2019 and 2020, she was also a visiting scholar at the Graduate School of Education, Harvard University in the US. Her  research focuses on the development of children’s moral behaviour and academic dishonesty in children and adolescents.

Professor Zhao's research focuses on the development of children’s moral behaviour and academic dishonesty in children and adolescents.

Along with co-authors from the University of Toronto and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, in 2024, she published a 

 examining the impact of giving 'trust messages' to young children.

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