- Learn more about where our research initiatives started, and where they are today
- The New York Times: America Is Averting Its Eyes From Something Very, Very Wrong
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., shares her expertise on how social media use differs by race. - Los Angeles Times: Science doesn’t yet support broad restrictions on teens’ access to social media, experts say
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., discusses the need for research-based decisions. - PBS: Student Mental Health Matters | A Toolkit for Educators
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., is featured in the Social Media Overview, Social Media Benefits and Risks, and Social Media Classroom Strategies segments. - Wellesley Magazine: A Big Idea
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., writes about looking to youth as architects of a safer digital world. - Wired: How to Talk to Your Kids About Social Media and Mental Health
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., shares practical advice for parents. - Transforming Research into Action to Protect Teens on Social Media
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., contributed to an American Psychological Association advisory on social media use in adolescence and met with members of Congress.
- "Opinion Fatigue" Is Setting In For Twitter, TikTok, & Instagram Creators
Dr. Charmaraman provides insight into the dynamics of online discourse and what drives people to share opinions in the evolving landscape of social media. - Linda Charmaraman, Wellesley College – When It Comes to Teens and Screens, Pets Can Have Surprising Benefits - The Academic Minute
Dr. Charmaraman's study explores the role of pets in middle schoolers' lives during the pandemic, uncovering insights about screen time, emotional support, and social interactions. - Wellesley College: How Linda Charmaraman and the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Lab Are Influencing the Way We Think about Social Media
This Spotlight on Wellesley highlights Dr. Charmaraman's story and work on how social media affects its youngest and most marginalized users. - Salon: The tricky timing of a child's first smartphone
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., shared her expertise with Salon on why there is no "right age" to give kids smartphones. - Boston Globe: The stage is theirs: At a majority of Boston-area theaters, women leaders have taken charge
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., project director of the League of Resident Theatres' ongoing study on race and gender representation, comments on the rise of women leaders in Boston-area theaters. - Health advisory on social media use in adolescence
Senior Research Scientist Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., co-authored this "Health advisory on social media use in adolescence", released by the American Psychological Association. The advisory examines potential beneficial and harmful effects of social media use on adolescents’ social, educational, psychological, and neurological development, and provides recommendations based on the scientific evidence to date.
- The Washington Post: TikTok’s trendy beauty filter ushers in new tech and new problems
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., discusses how beauty filters can be detrimental to teens and young people. - Research Scientist Submits Testimony to Congress on Youth, Social Media, and Mental Health
March 2, 2023
Senior Research Scientist Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., submitted this statement for the record in connection with the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee's February 14, 2023 hearing, "Protecting Our Children Online." In the statement, she notes some important policy directions and research findings that apply to youth, social media, and mental health, and urges the Committee to recognize that social media can have positive as well as negative effects on youth mental health.
- The Conversation: Research on teen social media use has a racial bias – studies of white kids are widely taken to be universal
White teens and teens of color do not have identical online experiences, explains Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D. - Research Scientist Teaches Wellesley Students How to Write for the Real World
January 19, 2023
The interdisciplinary course is focused on social technologies and adolescent development.
- Meta: How Meta Is Working to Provide Safe, Age-Appropriate Experiences for Teens
During a summit hosted by Meta, Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., give a deep dive into the latest research on social media and teen wellbeing. - NBC News: Agism on Social Media
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., comments on a TikTok trend and Gen Z's ideas around aging and beauty. - Research Scientist Collaborates with Instagram to Promote Supportive Spaces Online
Robin Stevens, Associate Professor at USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Linda Charmaraman, and Earl Turner, Associate Professor of Psychology at Pepperdine University, served as experts on the Well-being Creator Collective pilot program.Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., was invited to join an expert steering committee to advise Instagram content creators on creating supportive online content.
- New Field Study Will Examine Racial and Gender Representation in Resident Theater Leadership
November 9, 2022
WCW and the League of Resident Theatres will investigate systemic barriers to leadership positions and influence in the American theater.
- Broadway World: New Field Study Will Examine Racial And Gender Representation In Resident Theater Leadership
WCW has partnered with the League of Resident Theatres to analyze the racial and gender representation of theater leadership and examine barriers to entry. - Discover Magazine: Social Media May Be Changing The Way You Communicate
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., discusses the positive and negative impacts of teen social media use. - The Charlatan: Online anonymity: The internet as a safe space for LGBT+ youth
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., discusses her research on the positive impacts of social media use for sexual minority teens. - Morgan Stanley: Parenting in the Digital Age: Fostering Well-being and Resilience
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., spoke on a panel hosted by the Morgan Stanley Alliance for Children's Mental Health. - Annual Summer Workshop Teaches Middle School Girls About Digital Wellbeing
August 28, 2022
The five-day program allowed students to co-design an app to promote positive social media use and featured Wellesley College students and expert speakers on STEM.
- Washington Post: Online creators are de facto therapists for millions. It’s complicated.
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., discusses a collaboration to educate creators to help them produce responsible content on social media. - ADHD Experts Podcast: Mental Health Out Loud: The Mental Health Fallout from Social Media Use
On ADDitude's ADHD Experts podcast, Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., discusses the unique ways that social media use can offer positives and negatives for neurodivergent youth. - ScreenStrong Families: How YouTube Impacts Middle School Development with Dr. Linda Charmaraman
In a podcast interview, Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., discusses her research on social media use and youth development. - Good Morning America: Parents sue TikTok after daughter dies attempting 'blackout' social media challenge
Dr. Linda Charmaraman shares insights from her research on youth social media use and wellbeing. - The Social Complex: How Digital Media is Affecting Teens & Tweens
In a podcast interview, Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., discusses the resilience of teens and tweens in a digital world. - The Academic Minute: For LGBTQ Youth, Social Media Can Have Unexpected Benefits
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., shares research findings on LGBTQ teens' social media use. - New Study Will Investigate How Discrimination Affects the Mental Health of Asian American Adolescents
The long-term aim of the study is to develop evidence on how parents, peers, and social media can mitigate the negative health consequences of discrimination.
- Brasil de Fato: Como as redes sociais podem fomentar o extremismo em jovens?
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., discusses her research on youth wellbeing and social media use. (Article in Portuguese.) - Study Examines Parents' Perspectives on the Benefits and Challenges of Adolescent Pet Companionship
May 23, 2022
Adolescents’ relationships with their pets can be very important, since adolescents are at a developmental stage when they’re relying less on their families and more on other relationships in their lives—both human and animal.
- Business Insider India: How does social media affect teenagers? Understanding the mental health impact — and why it's not all bad
Research on body image from Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., is cited in an article on teen wellbeing. - Verywell Health: Social Media Didn’t Cause Teens’ Pandemic Stress
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., discusses her research on teens' social media use during the pandemic. - Scary Mommy: TikTok For Young Kids? No Thanks
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., shares her expertise on the minimum age for joining social media. - Washington Post: Instagram is touting safety features for teens. Mental health advocates aren’t buying it.
Linda Charmaraman, PhD., contributes an expert opinion on Instagram's impact on teens. - Scary Mommy: How Young Is Too Young For Social Media?
Research from our Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab explores the impacts of using social media at a young age. - Diverse Data Samples Drive Social Change
Charmaraman (center) and her former Wellesley College student interns Huiying B. Chan ’16 (left) and Budnampet Ramanudom ’18 (right) co-authored a book chapter on how and why women of color use social media to create virtual communities.Through the lens of her work on youth, media, and wellbeing, Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., explains how diverse data samples can help to better support underserved populations.
- Speaking of Psychology: How social media affects teens’ mental health and well-being, with Linda Charmaraman, PhD
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., shares her expertise on the mental health benefits and drawbacks of social media. - Verywell Mind: TikTok May Be to Blame for Rising Cases of Tic Like Behaviors in Teen Girls
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., discusses a new social media trend.
- Fast Company: How young is too young for social media? Behavioral scientists are closer to an answer
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., shares findings from her research on social media use in younger children. - Joining Social Media Before Age 11 Is Associated With Problematic Digital Behaviors
October 27, 2021
A new study finds that limiting access lessens some negative effects of social media use among younger users.
- Verywell Mind: Facebook Knew Instagram Was Harmful to Mental Health of Teen Girls, Said Nothing
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., shares her expertise on leaked research studies about Instagram’s impact on teens. - Verywell Family: New Study Finds Kids Who Spend More Time on Screens Have More Close Friends
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., shares her findings on the link between youth screen time and their social development. - Channel Q: The Safe Spaces On Social Media for LGBTQ+ Youth
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., discusses social media use among LGBTQ youth on the Channel Q radio show, Let's Go There. - The Conversation: Social media gives support to LGBTQ youth when in-person communities are lacking
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., shares findings from a new journal article on LGBTQ youth social media use. - The New York Times: Worried About Your Teen on Social Media? Here’s How to Help.
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., shares findings on middle school students' social media use. - Middle Schoolers Learn About STEM and Digital Wellbeing During Annual Summer Workshop
September 1, 2021
Middle school students learned about STEM concepts and healthy social media use during a workshop hosted by the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab.
- ScreenStrong Families: How YouTube Impacts Middle School Development
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., shares findings from her research on middle schoolers' social media use. - New Research on the Health and Wellbeing of LGBTQ+ Teens
Several new studies from Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., and Jennifer M. Grossman, Ph.D., help us understand more about the experiences of LGBTQ+ teens.
- Lifewire: Why Audio Is the Next Big Thing in Social Media
Senior Research Scientist Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., discusses the rise of private audio chats and interactive social media. - Wellesley Weston Magazine: Promoting Healthy Social Media Use
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., discusses the meaning of healthy social media usage in this feature in Wellesley Weston Magazine. - New Research Looks at How Social Media Affects Adolescents' Body Image
February 24, 2021
A recently published journal article explores social media’s role in influencing adolescents' attitudes toward body image.
- Accents: Promoting Healthy Social Media Use
WCW Senior Research Scientist Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., is featured in Accents discussing teens and technology during COVID-19. - FORBESIGNITE: Dr. Linda Charmaraman, Scientific Advisor
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., has been appointed as Forbes Ignite's new Scientific Advisor.
- Linda Charmaraman Appointed Forbes Ignite Scientific Advisor
December 15, 2020
Senior Research Scientist Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., has been appointed as Forbes Ignite’s new Scientific Advisor.
- FORBESIGNITE: Dr. Linda Charmaraman
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., discusses her research on the Forbes Ignite podcast, Inner Wealth.
- Study Examines the Role of Pets in Adolescents’ Online Social Interactions
A journal article co-authored by Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., explores how pets can act as either a substitute or a complement to social interactions online.
- Medical Xpress: Quantity, content, and context of social media use may affect adolescents' sleep
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., of WCW and the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab is quoted in this article describing her new study on adolescent sleep and bedtime technology habits. - Quantity, content, and context of social media use may affect adolescents’ sleep
November 2, 2020
A new study finds that the quantity of social technology use, type of content viewed, and social context is significantly related to later bedtimes and less sleep for early adolescents.
- VeryWellHealth: Dogs Significantly Improve Teens' Social Development, New Research Finds
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., of WCW and the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab was mentioned in this article that describes the links between pet ownership and teen social development. - Lifewire: Why is Facebook Going Back to College?
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., of WCW is quoted in this article discussing Facebook in the time of COVID-19 as it relates to incoming college students. - WCW Hosts Workshop for Middle Schoolers on STEM, Digital Wellbeing, and Identity
August 20, 2020
The Wellesley Centers for Women teamed up with the Wellesley College Computer Science Department to host a virtual workshop that helped adolescents explore their identities, introduced them to STEM concepts, and taught them about healthy social media use.
- Education Dive: Navigating cyberbullying more difficult amid COVID-19, but there are options
Senior Research Scientst Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., spoke with Education Dive about the positive ways middle schoolers have been using social media during COVID-19. - Webinar Links Remote Learning, Social Technology, and Social and Emotional Learning
July 31, 2020
Two programs of the Wellesley Centers for Women collaborated to host a webinar that explored the roles of social technology and SEL in remote learning.
- When Social Distancing Collides with Social Media
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., shares tips for parents wondering how to help their children maintain a healthy relationship with social media during isolation.
- Bay State Parent: When social distancing collides with social media
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., comments on the positive and negative impacts social media use can have during COVID-19. - Your Teen Magazine: There is Plenty to be Gained from Social Media for Middle Schoolers
Dr. Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., discusses the positive and negative impact of teen and tween social media use during COVID-19 in a video interview with Your Teen Magazine. - Insider: How Social Media Affects The Mental Health of Teenagers
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., and her research is quoted in this article on the impact of social media on the health of teens. - The Week: The Truth About Tweens and Screens
Senior research scientist Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., shares her insight on the different ways kids engage with and feel the effects of social media.
- Adolescent Development in an Age of Social Media
January 29, 2020
Senior Research Scientist Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., served as a guest editor for a special issue of the Journal of Adolescent Research focused on adolescent and emerging adult development in an age of social media.
- Wired: I Monitor My Teens' Electronics, and You Should Too
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., director of the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab discusses the evidence for parental monitoring of online and mobile content and associated positive outcomes. - Baystate Parent: Should You Buy Your Tween a Smartphone? An expert weighs in
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., senior research scientist, discusses some of the important factors parents should consider when thinking about purchasing a cell phone for their tweens. - New York Post: Why Teens Shoot Video of Violence Instead of Helping
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., director of the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab, discusses the causes of a growing phenomenon: teens’ failure to act in situations of violence. - Wellesley College: Wellesley Centers for Women Partners with Local Middle School to Promote Healthy Social Media Use
Senior research scientist Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., helps teach middle schoolers about social media’s impact on their lives and healthy ways to use it.
- WCW Partners with Local Middle School to Promote Healthy Social Media Use
July 29, 2019
Dr. Linda Charmaraman turned her research into action when she co-led a workshop teaching middle schoolers to use social media in healthy ways.
- Gaming Affects Youth Development
Online games like Fortnite influence youth development, according to findings from Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D.
- Presentations & Convenings: Inaugural Women of Color Conference
The Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW) partnered with The Home for Little Wanderers for the inaugural Women of Color Conference held at Wellesley College in June 2018. This program—geared toward providers who work with at-risk youth and families across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts— highlighted the importance of self-care; offered opportunities for relaxation, renewal, and inspiration; and provided a context in which to view the critical work done on behalf of young women and girls of color. The conference was spearheaded by Joan Wallace- Benjamin, Ph.D., the recently retired president and CEO of The Home, one of the largest service providers in New England dedicated to ensuring the healthy behavioral, emotional, social, and educational development, and physical wellbeing of children and families living in at-risk circumstances.
- Presentations & Convenings: Adolescents, Identity, and Social Media
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., WCW senior research scientist and director of the Youth, Media, & Wellbeing Research Lab, co-presented a poster with her WCW Class of ’67 Intern Rebecca Leu (Class of 2019) entitled, “Adolescent Social Media Use and Body Image: Associations with depression, social anxiety, and peers,” at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association (APA) in San Francisco, CA, in August.
- Global Connections 2018
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., senior research scientist and director of the Youth, Media, & Wellbeing Research Lab at the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW), presented with a panel of experts on social media and technology from infancy to young adulthood at the Pediatric Academic Societies meeting in Toronto, Canada. Based on her work with Megan Moreno, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.Ed., at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and funded through Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development, the May talk focused on the psychosocial and physical health associations of early social media use before age 12.
- Short Takes, NIH Funding for Social Media Research and to Promote Undergraduate Research
The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW) $450,000 over three years to study social media use of early adolescents while providing Wellesley College students with hands-on research opportunities. The longitudinal, multi-method study will investigate associations between middle school students’ social media use and health implications, as well as the roles of peer influence and parental monitoring.
- NIH Awards Wellesley Centers for Women Funding to Promote Undergraduate Research
October 17, 2018
NIH awarded WCW $450,000 over three years to study social media use of early adolescents while providing Wellesley College students with hands-on research opportunities.
- Eliminating Cultural Biases in Pursuit of High-Quality Education
August 22, 2018
Researchers at WCW investigate and eliminate cultural biases in assessment tool to ensure that results accurately indicate the quality level of youth afterschool educational programs.
- San Francisco Chronicle: Analyzing the Trump Effect: Is America Having a Nervous Breakdown?
Dr. Linda Charmaraman discusses her research on what people said #MAGA meant to them at the American Psychological Association conference.
- Wellesley Centers for Women Partners with The Home for Little Wanderers to Host Inaugural Women of Color Conference
August 6, 2018
Self care, rejuvenation, creativity, and empowerment were promoted throughout the Women of Color Conference held in partnership by WCW and The Home for Little Wanderers in June 2018 at Wellesley College.
- New Findings, Publications, Presentations: Youth and Adolescent Development
From afterschool programs to conversations about sex, research from WCW recognizes the profound ways adults can ensure healthy adolescent development.
- Can Extended Family Keep Teens from Making Risky Sexual Decisions?
April 23, 2018
Most research about family sexuality communication has focused on teens and their parents, but Dr. Jennifer Grossman is including conversations with extended family members to understand how they can help teens make smarter decisions about dating, sex, and relationships.
- Short Takes, Pilot Grant Awarded to Study Adolescents’ Media Use
Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development awarded Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D, research associate at the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW), a $100,000 pilot grant to study parent and peer influences on social media use in early adolescence as well as the implications for psychosocial and behavioral health. Working with co-principal investigator Megan Moreno, M.D., M.P.H., academic division chief in General Pediatrics/Adolescent Medicine, and vice chair of Digital Health at the Children’s Hospital at University of Wisconsin, Madison, Charmaraman will collect data from middle school youth and their parents in the Greater Boston area. The primary objectives of this one-year study are to: (1) investigate the developmental processes of social media use during the pubertal transition to adolescence, highlighting factors that are likely to have explanatory power in understanding the relationships between social media use, social context, and psychosocial and behavioral health; (2) use multiple reporters on adolescent social media use in a mixed-method design utilizing matched parent-to-student survey and student social media site data; and (3) build theory on mechanisms for how, when, and why early initiation into social technologies co-occurs with behavioral health outcomes, moderated by peer and family influences.
- A Call for Research on Growing Health Issue: Children and Screen Time
For Immediate Release: November 1, 2017
- Blackfeminisms: Women of Color Use Social Media for Social Change
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., studies the unique ways women of color use social media. - Commentary with Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D.
Research & Action Report, Spring/Summer 2015
By Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D.
Virtual Harassment & Bullying in the College Years
Given the immense public attention on cyber bullying amongst teens and that social media is intricately tied to adolescent daily behavior, it’s not surprising that the vast majority of studies on cyber bullying are conducted on youth under 18. A recent review1 found that the highest incidence of cyber bullying in youth occurs during seventh and eighth grades—incidence that increases from elementary school, but decreases into the high school years. One might predict that since cyber bullying wanes in high school, that in college it would continue to wane. It was only until Pew’s recent study on online harassment in 2014—which demonstrated that the cyber harassment rate in young adults aged 18-24 can reach rates as high as 70 percent—that we can now see that young adulthood deserves more attention, academic inquiry, and public scrutiny.
- Commentary: Virtual Harassment & Bullying in the College Years
Research & Action Report, Spring/Summer 2015
By Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D.
Given the immense public attention on cyber bullying amongst teens and that social media is intricately tied to adolescent daily behavior, it’s not surprising that the vast majority of studies on cyber bullying are conducted on youth under 18. A recent review1 found that the highest incidence of cyber bullying in youth occurs during seventh and eighth grades—incidence that increases from elementary school, but decreases into the high school years. One might predict that since cyber bullying wanes in high school, that in college it would continue to wane. It was only until Pew’s recent study on online harassment in 2014—which demonstrated that the cyber harassment rate in young adults aged 18-24 can reach rates as high as 70 percent—that we can now see that young adulthood deserves more attention, academic inquiry, and public scrutiny.
- Surprise! Real Sex Ed Really Works. No, Really.
Wonkette, October 22, 2014
by Kaili Joy Gray
- Think Progress: Proof That Comprehensive Sex Ed Classes Actually Help Kids Put Off Having Sex
Sumru Erkut, Ph.D., and Jennifer M. Grossman, Ph.D., are cited in this article on the impact of sex-ed in health classes on middle school sexual behavior.
- Boston Area Middle Schools ‘Get Real’ About Sex
Boston.com, October 20, 2014
by Shannon McMahon
- Research Scientist Linda Charmaraman, PhD, Receives $100,000 Grant from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
For Immediate Release: April 5, 2013
- Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D. named the Susan McGee Bailey Research Scholar, effective July 1, 2012
For immediate release: February 20, 2012
- Boys Benefit From After-School Leaders to Whom They Relate
Beyond School (blog for Education Week) June 10, 2011
Nora Fleming
- Examining Mixed-Ancestry Identity in Adolescents
Two years ago, scholars at the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW) launched a study of racial and ethnic identification among adolescents of mixed ancestry. The reasons for pursuing the research were several. Most literature about ethnic/racial self-identification patterns derived from adult respondents. For example, the series of studies that led to the change in wording of racial self-identification in the 2000 Census was carried out with adults.
