Bringing Up Boys in a Digital World

What are the impacts of violent media, pornography, and video game play on the behavior and mental health of boys and young men?  How do male gender roles portrayed by social media and digital platforms influence boys’ developing identity? What can you do to help your son navigate unwanted or harmful content and messaging in his digital life?

Boys are bombarded online with conflicting notions about what it means to “be a man,” from violent and overtly sexual content to broad stereotypes about masculine behavior. On September 14, 2022 at 12pm, Children and Screens’ #AskTheExperts webinar “Bringing Up Boys in a Digital World” featured a discussion of identity development, social pressures, and media content and behaviors uniquely affecting boys. A panel of psychologists, researchers, and parenting experts shared existing research on how the prevalence of pornography, video games, and violent media content can affect boys’ mental health and behaviors, and how parents and educators can help male youth engage more thoughtfully with the media influences in their lives.