In November 2020, panelists from the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab at the Wellesley Centers for Women shared research findings from an ongoing study of middle school students' social media use. Panelists discussed how middle school teens aged 11-15 are using social media nationwide and in the local New England area, including the most popular sites (e.g., TikTok, Snapchat) and games (e.g., Fortnite, Call of Duty) that students use. They discussed the social and behavioral implications of social media use patterns, covering topics ranging from secretive online behaviors and sexting to YouTube habits and sleep to positive uses of social media. Additionally, panelists shared highlights from a summer workshop for middle school students focused on STEM and digital wellbeing.
Panelists included:
- Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., principal investigator of the NIH study and director of the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab
- Alyssa Gramajo, research associate and project coordinator at the Wellesley Centers for Women
- Julia Cromwell, research assistant and Wellesley College graduate
- Rachel Hodes, research assistant and Wellesley College student
- Neha Lund, research assistant and Wellesley College student
November 5, 2020
