Are today’s children more lonely than previous generations and, if so, what does that mean for their long-term emotional and social well-being? Is the constant “connection” provided by digital devices meaningful or simply an illusion? How is social media use affecting youth experiences of isolation and connection? At this webinar, attendees gained valuable insights into how to recognize signs of loneliness in children and strategies to foster genuine social connections.
Children and Screens held the #AskTheExperts webinar “Growing Up Lonely? Child Connection and Isolation in the Digital Age” on Wednesday, February 26, 2025 at 12pm ET via Zoom. An expert panel of child psychologists and researchers examined the intersection of youth media use, social behaviors, and the psychological state of loneliness in children today.
Speakers
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Julianne Holt-Lunstad, PhD
Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Director of the Social Connections Lab, Brigham Young UniversityModerator
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Jeffrey Hall, PhD
Professor of Communication Studies, University of Kansas
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Khadijah B. Watkins, MD, MPH, DFAACAP
Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Training, Associate Director, The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School
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Milena Batanova, MA, PhD
Director of Research and Evaluation at Making Caring Common, a project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education
Resources Mentioned During the Webinar
- Caring for the Caregivers: The Critical Link Between Parent and Teen Mental Health (Report)
- Loneliness in America: Just the Tip of the Iceberg? (Report)
- Making Caring Common Resources for Families (Website)
- The Social Biome: How Everyday Communication Connects and Shapes Us (Book)
- Ten Myths about the Effect of Social Media Use on Well-Being (Scholarly Article)
- Loneliness and Social Media Use Presentation at TH Chan School of Public Health (Presentation)
- Ways to Help Your Lonely Teen (Book)
- Shrinking It Down: Lonely College Students (Website)
- Our Epidemic of Loneliness: Recommendations for Parents and Caregivers (Website)
- How Can Young People Combat Teen Loneliness? (Website)
00:00:11 – Introductions by Executive Director of Children and Screens Kris Perry
00:01:56 – Moderator Julianne Holt-Lunstad on the importance of social connection in the lives of children and adolescents.
00:12:29 – Milena Batanova on experiences of loneliness in American teens and young adults.
00:25:23 – Moderator follow-up: Are there preventative measures parents can take to protect children from loneliness?
00:28:29 – Jeffrey Hall on the ways that social media can support youth experiencing loneliness and common social pitfalls of social media use.
00:37:55 – Moderator follow-up: Is it the case that there is no large effect of digital media on loneliness, or that there are positive and negative effects that cancel each other out?
00:41:13 – Khadijah B. Watkins on the consequences of loneliness and ways to support children.
00:55:36 – Moderator follow-up: How can recommendations for supporting children be tailored to be age-appropriate?
00:58:14 – The panel addresses questions from the audience.
00:58:50 – Q&A: How can parents help a child with many online, in-game friends connect more with peers in real life?
01:01:59 – Q&A: Does a child’s use of FaceTime help them have social connection or signal their loneliness?
01:05:37 – Q&A: How can loneliness be prevented for a college-bound teen?
01:07:13 – Q&A: How can loneliness be reduced for an only child?
01:09:26 – Q&A: How can practitioners support parents struggling with their own social media use?
01:11:25 – Q&A: What strategies can parents use to help their children deal with feeling left out by not having social media when their peers do?
01:12:49 – Q&A: Are lonely children on social media more likely to be victims of foul play?
01:16:42 – Q&A: What supports are there for children in rural environments seeking social connection?
01:18:51 – Q&A: What roles do AI chatbots play in addressing loneliness?
01:22:49 – Q&A: Final thoughts from panelists
01:26:18 – Wrap-up with Children and Screens’ Executive Director Kris Perry.
A full transcript for this webinar will be made available soon.
Growing Up Lonely? Child Connection and Isolation in the Digital Age
Are today’s children lonelier than past generations? How are digital devices and social media shaping their ability to connect, and what does that mean for their long-term emotional and social well-being?
Early Childhood Mental Health and Media Use
A tip sheet for parents and caregivers
Does Teen Phone Use Affect Romantic Relationships?
Do phones and other digital devices prevent teens from having fulfilling romantic relationships? What are the drawbacks of using these devices to communicate with partners? Are there benefits?
Social Media, Mental Health, and Adolescent Social Dynamics | Mitch Prinstein, PhD, ABPP
Emerging Technologies: Summary and Recommendations
Summary and Recommendations found in the "Handbook of Children and Screens: Digital Media, Development, and Well-Being from Birth Through Adolescence," Part Three: Digital Domains, Emerging Technologies Section (pages 605-649)
Parenting in the Digital Age: Summary and Recommendations
Summary and Recommendations found in the "Handbook of Children and Screens: Digital Media, Development, and Well-Being from Birth Through Adolescence," Part Two: Research on How Media Influence Relationships, Family, Culture, and Society, Parenting in the Digital Age Section (pages 371-425)