The digital world has expanded our ability to connect with others, presenting communication opportunities never experienced before, while also raising important questions about its impacts on face to face communication and the future of human connection. What do we lose when we stop having in-person conversations? Is there any real privacy online? How can parents and kids cope with the increase in harmful interactions digital communications bring? In this “Ask the Experts'' webinar, a panel of psychologists, researchers, digital communication experts, and teens discuss issues of concern from increased digital communication, and what can be done to build healthy relationships in an increasingly digital world.

[00:00] Introduction

Celeste Schaefer Snyder, Director of Video and Social Media at Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development, and panel moderator Ann Cameron, PhD, Honorary Emerita Professor of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Emerita Professor, University of New Brunswick, Canada, provide some background on digital communication by young people, and introduce the panel of experts and youth participants.

[03:12] Sherry Turkle, PhD

Sherry Turkle, PhD, Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology and Founding Director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, discusses some of the ways face-to-face interactions differ from digital interactions, and how in-person conversations can help develop empathy, compassion, and resilience in ways digital ones cannot. She provides some advice on how to get kids to be more engaged with in-person interactions and emphasizes the value of imperfect relationships.

[19:57] Richard Guerry

Richard Guerry, Founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Responsible Online and Cell-Phone Communication (IROC2), explains some of the “Do’s and Don’ts” of online communication. He shares some key questions for parents to ask kids (or kids to ask themselves) to teach good digital practices and have a realistic mindset about online activity. He explains that digital communication, like fire, isn’t good or bad, but depends on responsible use. He highlights the need for young people to understand the magnitude of the digital world and the consequences of their actions in it.

[36:15] Youth Voices

Youth participants give their thoughts on communicating in a digital world. Participants shared their experiences with on- and off-line communication, their thoughts on what all youth need to learn and remember when communicating online, and what they wish adults knew about their online communications.

[41:51] Sebastian Wachs, PhD

Sebastian Wachs, PhD, Deputy Professor for Education and Socialization Theory at the

University of Potsdam and Honorary Research Fellow at the Anti-Bullying Centre, gives a brief history of hate speech, and how we can effectively define it. He debunks popular myths about hate speech and shares research on motivations that might drive a young person to engage in hate speech and the harm youth experiences from hate speech victimization. He discusses the role of parenting in preventing hate speech victimization and engagement, as well as building resilience against hate speech.

[54:21] Youth Voices 2

The youth participants share their hopes and concerns for the future of technology and communication.

[58:19] Q&A

Guided by questions from the audience, Dr. Cameron leads a discussion about how we can address concerns surrounding digital communication and young people. The panel touches on the harms of social media algorithms, the privacy rights of young people, and the role of consumers in shaping a digital landscape. The panel also discusses what to do in a world where kids and teens have to interact with technology, and how young people are the true arbiters of the future of digital communications.

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