Technology is changing our world rapidly.

 

The Winston National Center on Technology Use, Brain, and Psychological Development at the University of North Carolina conducts rigorous scientific research to understand the impact of technology and social media on the developing mind and brain.

A National Leader

Carolina researchers at the Winston Center are a leading authority on how technology and social media impact the developing mind and brain. Our experts and research studies are frequently featured in the media and provide guidance to national officials.

Concerns about the impact of adolescents’ technology use on mental health have increased exponentially in recent years. This video highlights the significance of this issue and how experts at the Winston National Center are leading the research on this topic.

Research + Expertise

Teen using mobile phone

Social media use may alter how teens’ brains develop

See the Winston Center’s groundbreaking study, published in JAMA Pediatrics in 2023.

Teen walking and looking at mobile phone

National leaders turn to Winston Center experts to shape social media recommendations

Winston Center co-directors helped develop the APA’s Health Advisory on Social Media Use in Adolescence and have testified before the U.S. Senate.

Kid using phone at night in bed

Social media use leads to poor sleep habits

Studies show using social media within one hour of bedtime leads to less sleep, which can disrupt neurological development in adolescent brains.

News

Human Change House Davos 2024

Media

Human Change Dr. Mitch Prinstein and Dr. Jim Winston join Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, chair of the Louis Dreyfus Group, and the team of Human Change, a global advocacy campaign dedicated to raising awareness about the way children approach social media, at Davos. Watch videos from the Conference

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Headshot of Mitch Prinstein

“Social media is here to stay. So we need to teach kids how to get the best they can from it and avoid the worst.” Mitch Prinstein, Co-Director, Winston National Center on Technology Use, Brain, and Psychological Development

The Handbook of Adolescent Digital Media Use and Mental Health is a leading resource for researchers and policymakers interested in studying the impacts of technology and social media. The handbook, produced by the Winston Center, is available to view for free.

Handbook image

Teens + Social Media

95%

Number of teens who report using social media.

100+

Times a day, on average, that teens pick up their phones.

37%

Number of teens who say they use social media “almost constantly.”

Sources: Winston National Center Research, Pew Research Center