Valorization Award (2025) from the Faculteit der Bètawetenschappen aan de Vrije Universiteit for exceptional contribution to social impact through research for the Charge Your Brainzzz project. Categories for recognition: co-creation of science and society, innovations for professional practice, and public debate and dialogue.

Top Published Article Award (2022) from the Children, Adolescents, and the Media Division of the International Communication Association. Awarded for paper: More Than Just a Laughing Matter: A Coding Framework of Humor in Media Entertainment for Tweens and Teens [published in the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media].

Piet Visser Prijs (2021) from the Slaapcongres Nederland for the article: Sleep is a waste of time!? Understanding adolescent sleep health from a systems science perspective using causal loop diagrams. [ongoing research].

Top Published Article Award (2020) from the Children, Adolescents, and the Media Division of the International Communication Association. Awarded for paper: Child’s play? Assessing the bidirectional longitudinal relationship between gaming and intelligence in early childhood [published in the Journal of Communication].

Travel Funding (2018) from Aarhus University, DK for participation in the consortia-development workshop Childhood, Youth, and Digital Technologies.

Top Paper Award (2017) from the Children, Adolescents, and the Media Division of the International Communication Association. Awarded for paper: Which came first? Assessing transactional relationshipsvbetween children’s violent media use and ADHD-related behaviors.

Young Scholars Travel Grant (2013, January) for research visit to Northwestern University, Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR), University of Amsterdam.

Top Paper Award (2012) from the Children, Adolescents, and the Media Division of the International Communication   Association. Awarded for paper: How reduced narrative processing demands impact preschoolers’ comprehension of educational television.

Top Paper Award (2012) from the Children, Adolescents, and the Media Division of the International Communication   Association. Awarded for paper: Background television in homes with young children.

Top Paper Award (2006) from the Mass Communication Division of the National Communication Association. Awarded for paper: The time-crunched family and preschool television: Is 24-hour television the answer?

Top Paper Award (2006) from the Applied Communication Division of the Eastern Communication Association. Awarded for paper: Repeated viewings of Dora the Explorer and its influence on young children’s learning.

George Gerbner Award (2004) from the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania. Awarded for best senior honors thesis by an undergraduate student.