2024/Fall STS: Youth Wellbeing and Digital Technology RoundtableSeptember 27

The "Youth Wellbeing and Digital Technology" roundtable brings together experts from Virginia Tech to explore the impacts of digital technologies on young people's development and well-being. This interdisciplinary discussion spans early childhood through young adulthood, examining how various digital tools and platforms shape learning, social interactions, and personal growth.

Koeun Choi (Human Development and Family Science) will present their lab's current research projects involving AI voice assistants in children's storybook reading and touchscreen games to support early learning and parent-child interactions, targeting ages 0-6 years.

Laurie Fritsch (Hokie Wellness) will address how increased technology use affects college students' mental health, social connections, and academic performance. She will discuss collaborative relationships critical to integrating digital well-being into many facets of university culture, and explore helpful tools, and resources used to align student goals with device use. Fritsch will also present digital well-being strategies developed through Hokie Wellness at Virginia Tech since 2016.

Jennifer A. Johnson’s (Sociology) research examines the impact of digital pornography on adolescent sexual health and development. Framed as a public health issue, Johnson will focus on how the industry's profit-driven goals shape the sexual growth of young people. Johnson advocates for a comprehensive overhaul of sexual education, proposing data-driven, inclusive resources that reflect the pervasive influence of digital pornography.

This roundtable will be moderated by Philip Olson (STS).