I’m thrilled to share that our Erasmus Mundus Master’s in Journalism, Media, and Globalisation has been awarded renewed Erasmus funding for the next five years — supporting the next chapter of our internationally recognized joint-degree program. For nearly twenty years, Read More
The Netherlands to Build the World’s First Population-Level Research Infrastructure
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 Read More
Focus-Friendly Schools in a Connected Age
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 Read More
Protecting Without Excluding
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 Read More
Congratulations, Dr. Rebecca Wald!
It’s always a special moment to celebrate the achievement of a PhD, and it was extra special (together with promotion team Theo Araujo and Annemarie van Oosten) to watch our PhD student , Rebecca Wald, defend her dissertation “Hey Google, Read More
Donald Duck Meets Digital Competence
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 Read More
Why Competence — Not Control — Should Guide the Future
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 Read More
What We Know (and Don’t) About Teens and Social Media in 2025
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 Read More
Breaking the Loop: Why Algorithmic Dispersion Matters
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 Read More
Smart Speakers At Home
Owning a smart speaker is one thing—but how are these devices used once the novelty wears off? New research, published in the Journal of Children and Media, aimed to start tackling this question. Led by Rebecca Wald (together with Theo Read More