Yesterday, a group of Dutch doctors and scientists released a public letter calling for a ban on smartphones for children under 14, and a ban on social media until 16. I understand the concern behind this appeal—youth health is a real issue—but this proposed solution is reactionary, not evidence-based, and potentially harmful. Let’s start with Read More

Together with my colleagues Theo Araujo and Laura Boeschoten, NWO has awarded us a new grant for our project entitled RIGHTS – Responsible Implementation of Gathering, Handling, and Treating Sensitive Individual Digital Traces. Normally, you will find that my work focuses on media effects and the psychological processes that predict and explain these effects – Read More

As youth navigate an increasingly algorithmic digital world, concerns about overuse, mental health, and online safety have led to calls for stricter age assurance measures. Yet, common responses—such as depersonalization or outright bans—risk oversimplifying the issue, potentially diminishing both youth agency and their ability to engage with age-appropriate, meaningful content. Instead, in this talk at Read More

I cannot think of a more important time to be discussing and understanding mis- and dis-information. The world is being rocked by its impact, people are struggling to know what is authentic, and the 24-hour digital knowledge economy only exacerbates its push. In response to this, the Department of Communication at the University of Amsterdam Read More

“Success is what you do with your ability. It’s how you use your talent.” – George Allen, Sr. I have been a member of the YouTube Youth & Family Advisory Committee since its inception. (Don’t worry, UvA – it’s registered ancillary work!). It’s important work. I serve as an independent expert, helping to shape and improve Read More

I had a fun opportunity to sit down with the University rector, Peter-Paul Verbeek, to discuss our overlapping areas of research during an episode on his podcast Net Echt. While typically our conversations focus on our visions for education, it was nice to connect in a completely different scholarly way. In the episode of Net Read More

I had the chance to speak at Meta’s Youth Summit on 18 February 2024 in Brussels (on a beautiful sunny day!) It was an interesting day, with several inspiring conversations. Personally, I was happy to sit on a panel where we discussed the new report – Empowering and Protecting Youth Online: Streamling Legislation and Promoting Read More

All too often, we hear the (news) media report on GenZ – framing the group as a monolithic entity with one voice and one shared ideology. During my talk with Microsoft Global Comms on 14 February, I highlighted fact versus fiction. I discussed the trends we see on Gen Z (and alphas!) but I also Read More