The Role of Media On Our Youth

Children today are growing up in a world saturated with media and technology. With more than half of ten-year-olds using social media before ten-years-old, advertisements geared towards four-year-olds, and the growing number of preteens using cell phones, parents, caretakers and educators are becoming increasingly interested in what impact such media and technology are having on their health and well-being. Dr. Ellen Wartella, of Northwestern University, studies the role of media and technology in order to affect policies that will truly impact children and their families. In addition to rigorous research that asks questions that get at the heart of parent, educator, and caretaker’s concerns about their children’s health and wellness, Dr. Wartella is committed to organizing conferences that address youth and media in order to share research with the rest of the academic community and the media.