Director’s Innovation Speaker Series: Youth-centered Approaches to Media Research

Overview

During this lecture, Jenny Radesky, MD, and Megan Moreno, MD, MSEd., MPH, will discuss youth-centered approaches to social media research and their impact on frameworks, methods, and products.

Dr. Radesky will present the DREAMER (Dynamic, Relational, Ecologic Approach to Media Effects Research; Barr, Kirkorian, Coyne & Radesky, 2024) model, a new conceptual framework for conducting early childhood media use research. This model improves upon earlier research, which focused only on children’s “screen time,” exploring the context of media use in parent-child relationships, how media affects both parents and children, the role of media planning and how factors such as poverty and stress affect outcomes. He will share recent research using the DREAMER model and discuss its relevance to clinical guidance using the 5Cs framework.

Dr. Moreno will outline the 5Cs framework for adolescent media use. He will then present the Brain, Behavior, and Well-Being project, which focuses on the intersection of adolescent development and digital media use. This project uses an interdisciplinary approach guided by a Youth Advisory Committee and has informed new methods and approaches for researching social media among adolescents. Dr. Moreno will also discuss how this project intersects with the 5Cs framework.

About Dr. Radesky

Dr. Jenny Radesky is a tenured Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Michigan Medical School and Director of the Department of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics. Dr. Radesky earned her BS from Johns Hopkins University and her MD from Harvard Medical School. As of 2022, she has held leadership roles in her department, including Chief Service and Division Director of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics. Dr. Radesky is board certified in both Pediatrics and Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics and has been appointed as a Behavioral Expert to the US Federal Trade Commission since 2024.

The research of Dr. Radesky focuses on the intersection of early childhood development and digital media use, particularly how parental mobile device use affects parent-child interactions and child behavioral outcomes. Through innovative methodologies and collaborations with interdisciplinary researchers, she continues to advance the study of media use in early childhood, striving to translate these findings into clinical practice and public policy.

About Dr. Moreno

Dr. Megan Moreno is Professor of Pediatrics and Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she also serves as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Interim Chair of the Department of Pediatrics. She earned her BA in Political Science from Northwestern University and her MD from George Washington University. Dr. Moreno completed her residency in pediatrics and served as chief resident at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He later pursued an Adolescent Medicine and STD/HIV Research at the University of Washington, earning a Masters in Public Health. In addition, Dr. Moreno holds a Master of Education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Her research and leadership focus on the intersection of digital technology and adolescent health. Dr. Moreno researches efforts to improve digital environments for youth, the impact of technology and digital media (TDM) on adolescent brain development and behavior, adolescent health information-seeking behaviors, and the role of technology in mental well-being.

About the Director’s Innovation Speaker Series

NIMH created the Director’s Innovation Speaker Series to encourage broad, interdisciplinary thinking in the development of scientific initiatives and programs and to push for theoretical leaps in science over continued incremental thinking. Innovation speakers are encouraged to describe their work from the perspective of pushing existing boundaries and developing successful new ideas, as well as working outside their main area of ​​expertise in ways that have pushed their fields forward. We encourage discussions on the concept of innovation, creativity, breakthroughs and paradigm shift.

Under the auspices

Extracurricular Activities Department

Recording

This event is free, but you should register to watch .

Contact

InnovationSpeakers@mail.nih.gov

More information

Closed captioning and a sign language interpreter will be provided for this event.