About this episode

Dr. Candice Odgers discusses insights from her research on adolescent mental health and digital technology at CoSN2026.

In this special episode, recorded live at CoSN2026, Dr. Candice Odgers, Associate Dean and Chancellor's Professor at the University of California, Irvine, shares insights from more than 25 years of research on adolescent mental health and digital technology. Drawing on decades of longitudinal research following thousands of young people, Dr. Odgers explores what the evidence actually tells us about smartphones, social media, and youth well-being. She examines the growing gap between headlines and scientific findings, discusses the risks of fear-driven technology policies, and explains why supporting young people requires addressing broader factors that shape their lives. Throughout the keynote, Dr. Odgers challenges common assumptions surrounding screen time and social media while advocating for evidence-based approaches that help students thrive in an increasingly digital world. In This Episode What more than 25 years of research reveal about adolescents and digital technology The gap between headlines and scientific evidence surrounding social media and youth well-being Why fear-driven approaches can lead to poor technology decisions Lessons from longitudinal studies following…

People in this episode

Guest: Dr. Candice Odgers

Topics covered

• adolescent mental health
• digital technology
• social media
• youth well-being
• evidence-based approaches
• screen time
• technology policies

Keywords

• adolescents
• digital world
• longitudinal research
• youth mental health
• technology decisions
• social media access
• supporting students

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of California, Irvine

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