This week marks the Week van de Mediawijsheid in the Netherlands: a nationwide initiative focused on helping everyone, young and old, use media in ways that feel healthy, balanced, and positive. It’s one of my favorite times of the year because it brings attention to something I care deeply about: guiding children toward confident, thoughtful Read More

The Dutch government is funding a groundbreaking research infrastructure — the Macroscope — with €16.8 million, aimed at tracking how social change, trust, media and misinformation play out across the entire Netherlands. Coordinated by Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Macroscope is a collaborative initiative by two major Dutch research infrastructures: ODISSEI, focused on social science and Read More

This week, in sunny Lisbon, I spoke about a topic dominating education headlines in Portugal and beyond: the rise of school smartphone bans. While these measures are often framed as protecting students’ attention and wellbeing, the evidence tells a more complicated story. Research shows that banning phones outright doesn’t automatically improve learning outcomes, mental health, Read More

On September 23, 2025, I delivered a keynote at the 19th International Conference “Keeping Children and Young People Safe Online” in Warsaw, Poland. My talk, Protecting Without Excluding, came at a moment when age restrictions dominate policy debates. From parliaments to press headlines, calls are growing for stricter limits on when young people can access Read More

What a blast! I had the opportunity to join the panel for the launch of DigiDuck — a special Donald Duck edition focused on digital skills, AI, and online safety. Why DigiDuck matters Digital life is evolving fast. For many kids, from a young age, interacting with media, AI, apps, and online content is part Read More

On September 11, 2025, I had the opportunity to give a keynote address at the Media Psychology Division’s 14th Conference of the German Psychological Association in Duisburg, Germany. In my talk, “Why Competence — Not Control — Should Guide the Future,” I reflected on the growing global momentum to restrict young people’s access to social Read More

The conversation about teenagers and social media is increasingly polarized. A new University of Amsterdam feature brings needed nuance. Together with my UvA colleagues, we reflect on how research has evolved beyond “good vs. bad” headlines to examine what actually shapes outcomes: the contexts in which teens use social media, what they’re doing there, and Read More

I recently had the opportunity to speak with WebPurify for a feature titled “Breaking the Loop: Why Algorithmic Dispersion Is Essential for Safer Feeds.” We explored the increasingly repetitive nature of algorithm-driven content—especially on social media platforms—and its implications for youth. This “algorithmic repetition,” while efficient for engagement, may come at the cost of diversity, Read More