Children

14 May

Posted at 16:10h in Children, Education, Wellbeing

May can feel like a sprint, a pileup, and an emotional goodbye all at once. I don’t know about you, but the stress levels in my house are pretty high, all due to my teens’ AP exams, end-of-year projects, and finals. They don’t call this month “Mayhem” and “Maycember” for nothing!

One week, a child may be studying for finals, rushing to a band concert, worrying about friendship shifts, and counting down to summer. A parent may be tracking permission slips, late assignments, sports banquets, graduation dates, and changes in mood that seem to come out of nowhere. It is a lot. And for many families like mine, the stress of May is not about one big event. It is about everything happening at the same time.

May is also Mental Health Awareness Month. That makes it a good time to remember something simple but important: mental health is part of health. Support, connection, rest, and recovery matter at every age.

For families, the goal is not to remove every stressor. Some end-of-year stress is normal. The goal is to lower unnecessary pressure, protect recovery time, and give kids support that fits where they are developmentally.

As we mark Fluent Research’s 20th anniversary, that idea feels especially meaningful. For two decades, we have studied how people navigate cultural and technological change. That work has included learning environments, safer digital experiences, youth culture, children’s and teens’ mental health, education, digital wellbeing, and human-centered innovation. Across all of it, one lesson keeps showing up: young people do better when adults understand where they are developmentally, listen closely, and create conditions that support connection, confidence, and wellbeing.

That is why an age-by-age approach matters. A fifth grader, a freshman, a graduating senior, and a college student may all be winding down the school year. But they are doing very different emotional, social, and developmental work. In May, exhaustion can also make kids seem younger, moodier, less organized, or more overwhelmed than they were earlier in the semester. That does not always mean something is wrong. Often, it means their systems are overloaded.

Here are age-by-age ways to help kids and young adults close the school year with less stress and more steadiness.

Why May Is So Stressful

The end of the school year often brings a heavy mix of demands:

  • Final projects and exams
  • Performances, tournaments, and banquets
  • Field days, spirit weeks, and graduation events
  • Friendship changes and social pressure
  • Summer planning and schedule shifts
  • The emotional weight of endings and transitions

Even positive events can add stress. A child may be excited about summer and still feel sad about leaving a teacher. A teen may be proud of graduating and still feel scared about what comes next. Mixed emotions are normal.

Mental Health Awareness Month: A Reminder

May is a natural time to talk about mental health because it asks young people to do two hard things at once: finish strong and let go.

Mental health support does not always mean a major intervention. Often, it looks like:

  • Clearer routines
  • Fewer unnecessary pressures
  • More sleep
  • Better boundaries around digital overload
  • Calm, respectful check-ins
  • Space for recovery

When we make room for those basics, we help kids manage stress before it grows bigger.

Tweens, Ages 10–12: Make the Month Feel Manageable

Tweens often live in the space between childhood and adolescence. They may want more independence, but they still need concrete structure, reminders, and help seeing the whole picture.

At this age, stress may show up as:

  • Tears
  • Irritability
  • Avoidance
  • Stomachaches
  • Forgotten assignments
  • Sudden overwhelm about something that seems small to adults

The most helpful thing adults can do is make the invisible visible.

Create a simple May calendar that shows tests, projects, field trips, performances, spirit days, celebrations, and family events. Then help your child sort what is required, what is optional, and what can be skipped. A visual plan lowers the mental load.

Use small, specific steps. Instead of saying, “You need to get ready for finals,” try: “Let’s put your science papers in one folder, review the study guide for 15 minutes, and pack your calculator tonight.” Tweens are still building planning skills. Clear next steps help them feel capable.

Protect bedtime and decompression. The end of the year often brings later nights, extra activities, and more screen time. A predictable evening routine can help their nervous system settle. Think snack, shower, backpack reset, quiet reading, music, or another calming activity.

Make room for mixed feelings. Some tweens are excited for summer. Others are sad to leave a teacher, nervous about middle school, or unsure where friendships stand. A walk, car ride, or casual errand may open the door better than a direct conversation.

Try saying: There’s a lot happening this month. Let’s look at the week together and make it feel smaller.

Early Teens, Ages 13–15: Offer Choices, Not Lectures

Early teens are often managing rapid changes in their bodies, emotions, friendships, identity, and independence. They may want adult-like freedom while still needing adult help to think through consequences, manage stress, and recover from emotional ups and downs.

In May, stress for early teens often comes from:

  • Grades
  • Social comparison
  • Friendship drama
  • Group chats
  • Performance pressure
  • The feeling that everyone else is handling things better than they are

Offer structure with choice. Instead of “You need to study now,” try: “Would you rather study before dinner or after dinner?” Choice supports autonomy while still providing boundaries.

Use “take a beat” language. Early teens can feel things intensely and react quickly. Help them pause without shaming them. You might say, “Let’s take a beat. What’s one other possible explanation?” or “What would you tell a friend who was feeling this way?”

Help them notice digital stress loops. A teen may be physically home but emotionally stuck in a group chat, a post, a streak of comparison, or fear of being left out. Rather than leading with “Get off your phone,” ask: “Is being on this app helping you feel connected, or is it making tonight harder?” Then talk through options like muting notifications, taking a timed break, leaving a chat, unfollowing, blocking, or asking for help.

Shift the focus from identity to strategy. Comments like “Why are you so disorganized?” can feel like character judgments. Try, “What part of this is still in your control?” or “What would make tomorrow morning easier?”

Keep the door open. Early teens may reject support and still need it. A calm “I’m around when you want help” often lands better than repeated questioning.

Try saying: I’m not here to take over. I’m here to help you make a plan that works.

Late Teens, Ages 16–17: Reduce Future Overload

Late teens are often trying to finish the school year while also thinking about what comes next. They may be juggling exams, AP tests, graduation requirements, prom, jobs, sports, college decisions, summer work, family expectations, and the emotional reality of leaving a familiar stage of life.

By this age, stress is not only about this week’s assignments. It may also be about:

  • College
  • Money
  • Career questions
  • Relationships
  • Independence
  • Current events
  • Whether they are “ready” for adulthood

Treat them like collaborators. Ask, “Do you want help making a plan, or do you mostly need me to listen?” That one question can lower defensiveness and clarify what kind of support they actually want.

Create a next 30 days map. Put school deadlines, work shifts, forms, applications, celebrations, rest days, and family commitments in one place. Older teens can think more abstractly, but seeing the month laid out still helps reduce pressure.

Separate urgent from important. Everything can feel urgent in May. Help your teen sort tasks into what is due now, due soon, emotionally important, optional, and not worth the energy. This helps them conserve effort for what matters most.

Watch the work-school balance. Part-time work can build confidence, responsibility, and real-world skills. But too many hours during the school year can crowd out sleep, schoolwork, family connection, and social life.

Make room for grief and pride. A teen may be excited to graduate and sad about leaving. They may be ready for college and scared of it. They may want independence and still need reassurance. Mixed emotions are part of transition.

Try saying: You don’t have to have your whole future figured out this month. Let’s focus on the next right steps.

Young Adults, Ages 18–24: Support Without Re-Managing

For college students and young adults, May can bring finals, moving out, internships, job searches, financial stress, changing relationships, and returning home after a year of independence. They may need support, but they usually do not want to feel managed like they are back in high school.

The best approach is to act more like a consultant than a director.

Ask before advising. “Would feedback help, or would encouragement help more?” is often more effective than launching into solutions.

Support basic routines without turning them into criticism. Sleep, food, movement, laundry, transportation, and money can all become stress multipliers during transitions. Practical support can help, especially when offered respectfully.

Normalize uncertainty. Young adults may be making decisions about majors, jobs, relationships, identity, values, and where they belong. They do not need to have everything figured out just because the semester is ending.

Encourage connection. When school ends, that built-in community can disappear quickly. Help young adults think about where they will find belonging during the summer:

  • Friends
  • Work
  • Volunteering
  • Creative projects
  • Exercise groups
  • Spiritual communities
  • Neighborhood activities
  • Family rituals

Respect recovery time. A student coming home from finals may need sleep, food, and quiet before they are ready to talk about grades, plans, or responsibilities.

Try saying: I trust you. I’m here as backup while you sort through what’s next.

Stress-Lowering Practices That Help at Every Age

Some supports work across every age group. They are simple, but they matter.

Protect Sleep

May tends to steal sleep first. But sleep is one of the most important supports for emotional regulation, learning, and resilience.

Lower the Comparison Temperature

Awards ceremonies, grades, college announcements, tryout results, and social media posts can make young people feel measured from every direction. Remind them that someone else’s milestone is not a verdict on their worth.

Create Small Rituals of Closure by Asking:

  • What do you want to remember from this year?
  • What are you proud of getting through?
  • Who helped you?
  • What do you want to leave behind?

Reflection can turn a stressful ending into a meaningful transition.

Use Connection Before Correction

Kids are more likely to problem solve when they feel safe, seen, and respected. This does not mean removing limits. It means leading with human connection so limits can be heard.

Celebrate Recovery, Not Just Achievement

The end of the year is not only about grades, trophies, awards, and admissions. It is also about persistence, friendship, courage, repair, growth, and rest.

When Stress Seems Bigger Than the Season

Some stress is expected at the end of the school year. But persistent sadness, hopelessness, withdrawal, panic, major changes in sleep or eating, self-harm, or talk of not wanting to live should be taken seriously.

Reach out to a school counselor, pediatrician, therapist, or local crisis support if needed. Early support matters.

A Brief Workplace Connection

There is also a useful lesson here for workplaces. Young people do better when expectations are clear, recovery time is protected, and support matches the moment. Adults do better under those same conditions. The way we support kids through periods of high demand can remind us what healthy culture looks like everywhere: clear communication, realistic expectations, empathy, and room to recover.

Closing the Year With More Steadiness

With the right support for the right age, families can help kids close the school year with less pressure, more connection, and a clearer sense that they are growing, not just performing.

Written by Stefanie Cousins, Vice President, Marketing & Communications, Fluent Research

25 Mar

Posted at 17:15h in AI, Children, Digital Wellbeing, Education, Technology, Wellbeing

Earlier this month, Allison Caplovitz and Stefanie Cousins attended SXSW EDU in Austin, TX, where they explored the intersection of technology, early childhood education, human connection and wellbeing. The event offered a wealth of insights into how we can thoughtfully integrate AI and digital tools into the lives of young children while preserving the values that help them thrive.

Monica Sutton, a beloved educator and creator of the Ms. Monica YouTube channel, delivered a powerful message urging developers, policymakers, and families to rethink how technology is designed for young children. She emphasized the importance of bringing developmental specialists and child psychologists into the room during the creation process. Sutton also encouraged policymakers to slow down and carefully consider the long-term implications of digital tools, while reminding families to trust their instincts and wisdom when guiding their children. Her framework for evaluating technology for young learners is simple yet profound: Does it honor how young children learn? Does it support their growth and wellbeing? Does it help them thrive? And does it protect their curiosity and connection?

The role of AI in early childhood was another key theme at SXSW EDU. Interviewed by Michael Levine, Dr. Dana Suskind, a cochlear implant surgeon and co-director of the TMW Center for Early Learning & Public Health, highlighted the importance of nurturing connection, curiosity, and lifelong learning in an AI-driven world. She shared a striking observation about how quiet waiting rooms have become, as both parents and children are now glued to their devices. To help families and educators navigate the influx of AI tools, she introduced the DETECT framework, which encourages thoughtful evaluation of AI tools by asking questions like: Who is this designed for? Is there evidence it works? Do children have trouble with it? Does it promote ethical use? Does it protect children’s confidentiality? And does it teach in a way that is aligned with the values of the home or classroom?

The growing digital divide was another critical topic of discussion. While access to technology has expanded, the divide has shifted to who has access to opportunities for developing creativity and human-centered skills. Higher-income families are better positioned to prioritize these skills, while lower-income students often face more rigid, tech-mediated learning environments. This disparity raises concerns about equity and the long-term impact on children’s competence, agency, and resilience. Dr. Suskind also introduced another guiding acronym, HOPE, which underscores the irreplaceable value of human connection, the importance of owning AI’s imperfections, and the need to protect the foundational early years while using AI as a tool for enhancement, not replacement.

Several speakers likened the introduction of AI to the early days of social media, emphasizing the need to “get it right” this time. The stakes are high: relying too heavily on AI and removing opportunities for children to struggle and overcome obstacles could undermine their ability to build resilience and agency—qualities essential for wellbeing. Adeel Kahn, Founder and CEO of Magic School AI, shared an interesting lesson from his company’s journey. Initially, they anthropomorphized their AI bot for both teachers and students but quickly learned this approach wasn’t effective, underscoring the importance of thoughtful design in educational technology.

The conversations at SXSW EDU underscored a shared commitment to ensuring that technology serves as a tool for connection, creativity, growth, and wellbeing—not a replacement for the human touch. As Ms. Monica so eloquently put it, we must ask ourselves: Does this help children thrive? By keeping this question at the forefront, we can navigate the digital age with intention and care, ensuring a brighter future for the next generation.

By Stefanie Cousins, Vice President, Marketing & Communications, Fluent Research

24 Feb

Posted at 11:12h in Children, Content, Kids, Media, Research

The moment that changes a children’s series rarely just happens in the writers’ room. It can also happen in a living room.

A five-year-old girl tilts her head and says something unexpected about a character. A parent pauses and admits they’re not sure what the takeaway was. An eight-year-old boy laughs at a moment the creators thought was instructional, and tunes out during the explanation. Those are the moments that shape better content.

When people think about research in children’s media, they often think about measurement, proving that something worked after it’s complete. But the real power of research happens much earlier. Research doesn’t just validate content. It influences it.

Where Insight Changes Direction

In our work with PBS KIDS, Nickelodeon, and other children’s media clients across broadcast, digital, and interactive properties, we’re often brought in while content is still evolving. Animatics are rough. Scripts are fluid. Characters haven’t been finalized. Game mechanics are still being refined. That’s exactly when research matters most.

What we uncover doesn’t sit in a report; it informs revision. We examine questions that go beyond surface appeal:

• Do children understand the core skill the episode is designed to model?

• Do children understand the core skill the episode is designed to model?

• Is the learning goal clear, or buried under plot?

• Are the rules of the world intuitive to young viewers?

• Does the problem feel concrete, or abstract?

• When do children disengage, and what’s happening at that moment?

• Are parents interpreting the educational intention the way producers expect?

Sometimes the insight confirms the creative approach. Other times, it shifts it.

We’ve observed executive function skills resonating clearly, while the context surrounding them creates confusion. In one project, adults found career themes compelling, but children experienced them differently. In another, humor carried the learning more effectively than explanation. Without research, those disconnects remain invisible. With research, they become opportunities to revise, clarify, and strengthen before a series moves forward. In other words, those insights lead to better alignment between intention and interpretation. That’s not cosmetic feedback. It’s directional influence. 

Research as a Creative Partner

The strongest development teams don’t treat research as a compliance step at the end of production. They treat it as a creative partner.

When research is embedded in the development process, it can influence story pacing, character development, world-building clarity, the explicitness of educational messaging, and the balance between entertainment and instruction. The result isn’t content that feels “researched.” It’s content that feels intuitive, because it aligns with how children actually learn.

That alignment doesn’t happen by instinct alone. It happens by listening. 

Designing for How Kids Learn

This article is the first in a series exploring how research shapes and strengthens children’s media development across the broader children’s content landscape.

In upcoming articles, we’ll feature insights from Allison Caplovitz, PhD, Director of Content Research and Evaluation, and Senior Researchers Sylvia Rusnak and Tiffany Salone, whose expertise in child development, educational measurement, and media testing informs the work behind the scenes.

If you’re developing content for children, consider this:

• Do you know what kids are actually taking away?
• Are you testing intention against interpretation?
• Are you building in time to revise based on evidence?

Because if you’re building for kids, listening to them isn’t optional. It’s foundational.

By Stefanie Cousins, Vice President, Marketing and Communications

04 Feb

Posted at 18:22h in Children, Gen Z, Technology

The American Academy of Pediatrics’s (AAP) new policy statement on digital ecosystems, children, and adolescents is a meaningful shift in how we talk about kids’ lives online. Instead of reducing the conversation to “screen time” or putting the burden solely on parents, the AAP uses a socioecological model, recognizing that children’s experiences with media are shaped by many interacting factors: their developmental needs, family context, platform design, and the broader systems that influence what shows up on screens.

As someone trained in developmental science, I immediately recognized Bronfenbrenner in the AAP’s approach. Children don’t develop in a vacuum, and neither do their digital lives. And that framing resonates with me not just as someone who cares about the research, but as someone who has worked directly with content creators and product teams trying to build better experiences for kids and families.

What I’ve Learned From Working With Content Teams

In my work, I’ve seen that many creators genuinely want to make content that is meaningful, age appropriate, and effective for children. But good intentions aren’t enough. The details matter too, including pacing, interactivity, clarity of learning goals, and how content fits into real family routines. And at the end of the day, the content has to be engaging enough for children to actually want to watch and learn from it.

And just as importantly, even the most thoughtful programming can be undermined by the surrounding digital environment. Features like endless scrolling, autoplay, algorithmic recommendations, and design patterns that prioritize engagement over child wellbeing can shape how kids experience content in ways creators never intended.

That’s why I appreciate how clearly the AAP distinguishes between high-quality and low-quality experiences, and how much attention they give to the digital ecosystem itself. It’s not only what children consume, but how platforms deliver it. This connects closely to an article I wrote recently about persuasive design. Even when content is high quality, the surrounding design patterns can make it harder for kids (and parents) to disengage.

I also loved seeing the AAP explicitly highlight PBS KIDS as an example of high-quality, child-centered content. As someone who consults on several PBS KIDS properties (e.g., Count on June Bug!, Dicey Escape, Skillsville,), I’ve seen firsthand how thoughtful design and developmentally grounded storytelling can make a real difference for kids and families.

Trust & Safety Isn’t Just a Policy Problem — It’s a Human Problem

Another part of the policy that feels especially important is its recognition that families cannot carry this responsibility alone. In the AAP’s recommendations, you can see a broader call for platforms to build stronger safeguards, reduce harmful defaults, and increase transparency.

From my perspective, this is where trust and safety conversations need to evolve.

At Fluent Research, we help companies bring youth and family voice into decisions about safety, wellbeing, and platform design. One of the clearest lessons from that work is that teens often know they want to break away from certain online experiences, but they can’t seem to do it. Not because they don’t care, but because many platforms are designed to make stopping hard. How can we expect young people to “just log off” when the system is built to keep them there?

Listening to youth and caregivers doesn’t replace policy or enforcement, but it grounds it in lived reality.

A Shared Responsibility Framework We Can Build On

What I take away most from the AAP’s policy is this: if we want healthier digital environments, we need to stop treating children’s media use as the individual failure of a child, a parent, or even a single platform. We need to treat it as a system that can be designed differently.

And the good news is that systems can change. We can build products that support children’s agency instead of undermining it. We can create content that helps families connect instead of creating conflict. We can involve youth and caregivers early enough that safety and quality aren’t afterthoughts.

The AAP policy doesn’t just offer guidance, it offers a framework for shared responsibility. And from where I sit, working alongside creators, researchers, and product teams, that shared responsibility is exactly where the future needs to go.

By Allison Caplovitz, PhD, Director, Content Research and Evaluation

19 Nov

Posted at 18:02h in Children, Kids, Wellbeing

At first glance, Positive Youth Development and the Native Tongues might seem to live in different worlds — one grounded in research and youth policy, the other born from hip-hop’s playful, inventive spirit. Look closer and you see the same heartbeat: Young people thrive when we recognize their strengths, connect them to community and give them real opportunities to contribute.

The Birth of PYD

Positive Youth Development (PYD) emerged in the late 20th century as a response to deficit-based models of adolescence. Too often, young people were seen as problems waiting to happen, defined by risks like delinquency, dropout or substance use.

Developmental psychologist Richard Lerner, Ph.D., helped flip that script. His research identified the Five Cs of thriving youth: competence, confidence, connection, character and caring. Similarly, Peter Benson, Ph.D., of the Search Institute emphasized the power of developmental assets (i.e., relationships, skills and opportunities) that allow young people to ignite their “sparks.”

Together, these scholars (along with many others) advanced a movement that was not just about preventing harm but about promoting growth, leadership and well-being.

The Native Tongues as a living PYD case study

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Native Tongues — including A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Jungle Brothers and Queen Latifah — modeled a youth-positive culture long before PYD was a common acronym. They offered a countercurrent to cynicism and narrow definitions of “realness,” centering curiosity, humor, Afrocentric imagery and community. The cipher wasn’t just a performance — it was a classroom, a lab, a family.

Through that lens, you can see the principles of Positive Youth Development in motion:

• Aiming for positive outcomes: The Native Tongues didn’t build their movement around fear or scarcity. They built toward something: connection, creativity, pride and contribution. They showed that the best way to keep young people from harm is to give them something powerful to move toward.

• Using a strength-based approach: Their music celebrated what was already strong in their communities (i.e., language, rhythm, humor, intelligence and culture) and turned it into an engine for self-expression and growth.

• Promoting youth engagement and voice: They didn’t wait for permission to lead; they created their own platforms and spoke in their own voices. Collaboration and co-creation were the rule, not the exception. This was authentic youth-adult partnership before the term existed.

• Utilizing inclusive strategies: Their art welcomed everyone into the fold. Black, white, brown, queer, straight, nerdy, street, spiritual … it didn’t matter. The goal was to bring more people into the circle, not to draw lines around who belonged.

• Fostering collaborative, long-term community engagement: They worked together across crews, neighborhoods and generations to create a lasting cultural shift that valued mentorship, belonging and contribution over competition.

They didn’t reject struggle; they transformed it. Their legacy reminds us that Positive Youth Development isn’t about denying what’s hard but rather about creating spaces where joy, dignity and possibility can thrive alongside it.

Culture as a Pathway

The Native Tongues’ influence extended through the music and messages of affiliated artists. Queen Latifah, with her anthem “U.N.I.T.Y.”, elevated self-respect and empowerment, especially for young women in spaces where their voices were too often marginalized. Afrika Baby Bam from the Jungle Brothers celebrated the strengths that he saw in his context when he said, “We weren’t trying to separate ourselves from the street. We were trying to lift it up.”

These artists carried forward the same developmental ideals that scholars like Lerner and Benson articulated: youth need opportunities to express themselves, to contribute to something larger, and to be affirmed as valuable members of a community.

From deficits to strengths

As Karen Pittman reminds us, “problem-free is not fully prepared.” Both PYD and the Native Tongues rejected the notion that young people should only be measured by what they avoid: violence, drugs, failure. Instead, they emphasized what young people can become: leaders, creators, community-builders.

Consider a modern youth center. A deficit approach might emphasize control and surveillance, aiming only to “keep kids out of trouble.” A PYD approach, inspired by both research and hip-hop culture, would instead provide mentorship, leadership opportunities and creative outlets that help young people prepare not just to stay safe, but to thrive.

Seeing the bigger picture

Neither PYD nor the Native Tongues ignored the realities of poverty, racism or trauma. But both refused to let those forces define young people. They insisted on seeing talent, resilience and possibility. That shift from deficit to possibility is what allows youth programs, cultural movements and whole communities to move from survival to thriving.

Learning from the Native Tongues

The Native Tongues show that PYD isn’t only a framework, it’s a way of building culture. It’s a set of practices that turn individual sparks into community light.

If we want youth to thrive, let’s do what both the research and the records tell us: invest in competence, connection and contribution; honor identity and creativity; build spaces where joy and rigor live side by side.

In other words, let’s recognize what the Native Tongues already knew: When young people are given real chances to express their gifts and lift each other up, they don’t just survive, they thrive. And if we didn’t know before … well, now we do.

Dan Warren is Director, Youth Development & Education.

This article was originally published in Youth Today, on November 11, 2025.

10 Sep

Posted at 08:30h in Children, Education, Kids, Technology, Wellbeing

AI as an On-Demand Study Partner

For most teens, AI isn’t some mystical oracle—it’s a utility. A helpful assistant. Students use it to generate essay outlines, clarify complex topics, fix grammar, or summarize dense readings. The goal isn’t to cheat or cut corners; it’s to get unstuck. Whether it’s breaking down a math problem, brainstorming ideas, or interpreting a historical text, AI often functions as a just-in-time tutor that helps them keep moving forward.

Some describe it as a kind of “academic sidekick”—always there, never judging, and happy to explain things twice (or 10 times).

Personalization Through Practice

What’s striking is how students make AI work for them in unique, personal ways. One teen might use an AI chatbot to rephrase science notes into simpler terms. Another might ask it to generate flashcards or quiz questions for Spanish class. Yet another might want to “romanticize” their Google Doc with better formatting or more engaging headings—because when the workspace feels good, the work often follows.

These small acts of personalization don’t just make schoolwork easier—they make it more meaningful.

Mobile-First, Multi-Device Workflows

Today’s teen is a multitasking master, and their tech setup reflects that. Most AI interactions begin on mobile phones—especially iPhones—because that’s where their lives happen. Whether it’s using AI to rewrite a sentence while waiting at practice or asking it to explain a homework question at 10 p.m., the phone is often the first point of contact.

But when it comes time to write, edit, or build something bigger, teens switch to laptops or tablets. This cross-device flow is entirely normal for them. AI is just one of several tools they bounce between.

Still Skeptical—and Thoughtfully So

Contrary to fears about over-reliance, many teens are cautious about how they use AI. They don’t blindly accept every output. In fact, students often fact-check, revise, or use AI responses only as a starting point. For them, AI is a draft buddy, not a final authority.

There’s also a cultural layer at play. Some teens are hesitant to use AI openly because they don’t know how their teachers feel about it. School policies on AI use are still evolving, and that uncertainty shapes how confidently students engage with these tools.

AI Helps Solve Teen-Sized Problems

Beyond academics, AI is helping teens manage common challenges: time management, procrastination, and lack of focus. Some students use AI-powered reminders, timers, or summaries to break big tasks into manageable chunks. Others describe how having an organized digital workspace—especially one that’s aesthetically pleasing—helps them feel calmer and more in control.

These aren’t just features; they’re emotional tools. For teens juggling school, sports, part-time jobs, and social lives, AI can offer structure, reduce stress, and create breathing room.

What AI Should—and Shouldn’t Do

As AI becomes more deeply embedded in student life, it’s important to recognize what teens want from it—and what they don’t.

They want:

• Tools that help them learn, not do the work for them.
• Outputs that are accurate, relevant, and easy to revise.
• Design and workflow features that feel modern, responsive, and respectful of their time.

They don’t want:

• AI that talks down to them.
• Overly complex interfaces.
• Black-box decisions or content they can’t trust.

Looking Ahead

The future of AI in education will depend on how well we listen to young users. Teens don’t need flashy gimmicks or false promises. They need smart, thoughtful tools that respect their autonomy, support their learning, and adapt to how they really work.

If AI is going to play a meaningful role in youth development, it has to do more than just give answers. It has to understand how teens think—and help them do that thinking more clearly, more creatively, and more confidently

By Dan Warren, PhD, Director of Youth Development & Education.

03 Sep

Posted at 10:52h in Children, Kids, Meditations, Wellbeing

By Dan Warren, PhD

 

“If you don’t know, now you know.”
-The Notorious B.I.G.

 

 

“Witness the American ideal: The Self‑Made Man. But there is no such person … If, as adults, we can lay claim to competence and compassion, it only means that other human beings have been willing and enabled to commit their competence and compassion to us …”
-The Urie Bronfenbrenner P.H.D.

 

I doubt Urie Bronfenbrenner ever listened to Biggie Smalls. But if he had, I imagine he would have nodded along — not just to the rhythm, but to the deeper truths hidden in Biggie’s stories. Biggie’s lyrics painted a vivid picture of complexity — family struggles, neighborhood pressures, and the larger systemic forces shaping his life and community. Similarly, Bronfenbrenner, a renowned developmental psychologist, created a framework to help us understand how young people grow and thrive within layered, interconnected environments.

 

Unfortunately, when many of us design experiences or create policies for young people, we tend to overlook this complexity. Instead, we often rely on broad generational labels, such as “Gen Z,” to describe large groups of youth. While this practice may seem harmless and convenient, it actually limits our understanding of young people’s true needs and can inadvertently create barriers rather than meaningful engagement.

 

Both Bronfenbrenner’s research and Biggie’s storytelling remind us of an essential truth: real understanding requires looking deeper.

The Limits of Generational Labels

Today, much of our talk about young people is framed in generational terms. Marketers, educators and even policymakers rely on shorthand like “Gen Z” or “Gen Alpha.” These categories offer an easy way to describe broad groups of youth who came of age in a shared historical moment.

 

To be fair, this framing does capture something important: it acknowledges the power of the influence of time and history on development or, as Bronfenbrenner put it, the chronosystem. It reminds us that kids who grew up with smartphones or social media inhabit a different world than kids who didn’t.

 

But the concern is that generational labels stop there. They collapse all the developmental phases within that generation into one big block. A 12-year-old navigating the first steps of adolescence and a 22-year-old entering the workforce may both be “Gen Z,” but their developmental needs, capabilities, and vulnerabilities couldn’t be more different. Relying only on generational categories risks oversimplifying, stereotyping and overlooking the specific supports young people need at each stage.

Bronfenbrenner’s Lens: Seeing the Layers

Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory provides a clearer and more nuanced view. He explains that multiple, interconnected layers of influence shape a child’s development:

 

• Microsystem: Immediate environments, such as family, school or peers. (Think about Biggie’s mother, his close friends in Brooklyn.)

• Mesosystem: Interactions between different microsystems, like the relationship between home life and school experiences. (Biggie struggled with conflicting expectations at school versus the streets.)

• Exosystem: Broader influences like community resources, local economics or media portrayals. (Biggie was deeply influenced by neighborhood conditions and systemic economic pressures.)

• Macrosystem: Societal and cultural beliefs, norms and structures such as racism or expectations about success. (Biggie often criticized these larger societal forces in his music.)

• Chronosystem: The ways experiences and environments change over time. (Biggie’s narratives shifted from youthful experiences toward reflections on adulthood.)

 

This layered approach makes clear why it’s not enough to say “Gen Z is like this.” The historical context matters, yes, but it intersects with family life, community resources, cultural expectations and developmental stage. Bronfenbrenner shows us how these forces work together in real young people’s lives.

Youth Programs Through Different Eyes

Consider an afterschool program serving young people from middle school through early adulthood.

 

• Generational thinking: Program leaders might say, “Gen Z loves tech,” and fill the program with tablets, apps and social media tie-ins. This captures the chronosystem, the reality that today’s youth are digital natives, but it doesn’t account for age-specific needs.

• Developmental thinking: Leaders would design different experiences for different age groups. Younger adolescents might get structured activities that support peer relationships and safe identity exploration. Older youth might be given leadership roles, career mentoring or opportunities to use tech for advocacy and creativity.

• Integrated thinking: The strongest programs do both. They recognize the generational context (digital fluency, cultural touchpoints), but they tailor how that reality is engaged depending on the developmental stage. Tech might be used for collaborative digital storytelling with middle schoolers, while for older youth it might support internships, skill-building or college preparation.

 

This layered approach acknowledges the broad cultural moment while honoring the developmental realities of different ages. The result: programs that are not only relevant, but also developmentally supportive and ethically responsible.

Seeing Clearly Together

Biggie understood something profound: real life isn’t simple. It’s shaped by layers of relationships, environments and systems. Bronfenbrenner shared this understanding, giving us a powerful lens to see beyond surface-level assumptions.

 

If we genuinely care about creating meaningful, supportive experiences for youth, we must move beyond labels and into deeper understanding. Let’s commit to designing, teaching and leading with an awareness of the developmental realities that define young people’s lives.

 

In other words, let’s learn to see youth as clearly as Biggie and Bronfenbrenner did.

And if we didn’t know before — well, now we do.

 

Dan Warren is Director, Youth Development & Education.

This article was originally published in Youth Today, on September 2, 2025.

 

29 Aug

Posted at 09:34h in Children, Content, Kids, Research, Wellbeing

We’ve all seen it, or lived it. A young child is melting down over wanting “just one more minute” with their tablet. Often, all eyes turn to the parent, silently blaming them for a lack of discipline or control. But is that really what’s happening? Is this behavior simply a part of normal child development, or is it shaped, at least in part, by how the app itself is designed?

A compelling new study by Mallawaarachchi et al. (2025) (full text here) argues it’s not an either/or — it’s both. Their research shows how a child’s self-regulation abilities interact with persuasive app design (PD) to influence how easily (or not) the child can disengage from digital play. 

I heard Dr. Mallawaarachchi present this research at the 2025 Digital Media and Developing Minds International Congress last month, and I was intrigued. “Not all children use screens in the same way,” Dr. Mallawaarachchi explained to me during a recent phone call, “but also screens don’t affect all children the same way.” She noted that some children may come to the experience with a kind of differential susceptibility, meaning their temperament, developmental stage, or disposition might make them more likely to get ‘stuck’ in an app.

As a researcher who helps tech companies do better for children, this interplay between a child’s self-regulation and persuasive design really spoke to me. It reinforced why developmental expertise needs to be present at all stages of design, to ensure that products are not only engaging but also developmentally appropriate.

What is Persuasive App Design?

Persuasive design (PD) refers to features in digital apps or games that are intentionally created to keep users (in this case, children) engaged for longer. These features are intended to capture and hold the user’s attention and make it hard to stop. 

Common examples of PD in children’s apps include:

  • Rewards: Getting virtual coins, new characters, or access to new levels as part of the game experience.
  • Main character pressure: The character might frown or look sad if a child stops playing or makes a certain choice.
  • Locked features tied to in-app purchases: Making certain options of the game only available through payment, prompting children to ask for more time or money to continue playing.
  • Pop-up suggestions for other games: Distractions that encourage children to try an app that is similar to what they are already playing.
  • Autoplay or countdown timers: Creating urgency and discouraging natural stopping points.

While some of these features can enhance gameplay and support learning, they are often used to maximize engagement and revenue, sometimes at the expense of child well-being. Mallawaarachchi emphasized that PD is a continuum of features. ”Of course you want it to promote engagement, but if it’s coming at the cost of the users’ agency, if it’s coming at the fact that you don’t have the freedom to choose what to do, and if it’s coming at the cost of the users’ well-being, to me, that’s deceptive.”

The Study in a Nutshell

Mallawaarachchi et al. looked at how persuasive app design (PD) and children’s self-regulation interact to affect their ability to stop playing a tablet game. Self-regulation is a child’s ability to control their attention, emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, even when faced with distractions or impulses. This skill is what helps a child stop a fun game when dinner is ready, or transition calmly from digital play to another activity. This ability develops throughout early childhood and varies among children.

In the experimental study, 3- to 5-year-old children played one of three apps with similar content, each with low, moderate, or high PD. They also considered each child’s own self-regulation score as assessed by two different standardized measures. 

Study Findings

  • Children liked the apps equally, regardless of the number of persuasive design features. This means that app designers don’t need to rely on manipulative features to make apps enjoyable to children.
  • Children with high self-regulation could disengage from any app consistently, regardless of whether the app employed low, moderate, or high PD.
  • Children with low self-regulation disengaged more easily from low-PD apps, but took significantly longer and needed more support when using apps with moderate or high persuasive design.

“If persuasive features override a child’s available strategies and capacities,” Dr. Mallawaarachchi said, “then the child is no longer in control.”

Why it Matters

This study offers key takeaways for both parents and developers. It shows that:

  • Children aren’t drawn to high-PD apps because they’re more fun. They’re drawn in because of design tricks that make stopping harder.
  • App design interacts with a child’s developmental abilities, meaning some children are more vulnerable to persuasive features.
  • The design of the app and the child’s readiness to engage with it are equally important.

The study reveals that persuasive app design doesn’t make apps more appealing, they just make them harder to leave. This knowledge can empower caregivers to make more informed choices about the apps their children use. But it also makes one thing clear: parents shouldn’t have to shoulder this burden alone. Dr. Mallawaarachchi agrees. “One of our key overarching goals in all things we do is really to remove that burden and responsibility from parents and to move it at least a bit more towards other stakeholders like tech companies, their policies, and also the government.”

Shifting Responsibility

I also believe it’s time for a fundamental shift in responsibility. Just as the Children’s Television Act of 1990 rightly restricted character-based advertising during children’s programming, we need similar protections for children in digital spaces today. That means there’s no excuse for developers to keep relying on manipulative features under the guise of “fun.”

If we want a healthier digital world for all children, we can’t just focus on screen limits; we must also focus on screen design. We need to ensure that tech companies are equipped and motivated to do better. This is where my role, sitting at the intersection of developmental research and tech industry practice, becomes especially important. I work with companies that want to do the right thing, but need research-based guidance to get there. I see my job as translating important studies like this into practical insights that help teams design responsibly, before regulation forces them to change.

We also need the voice of children in the design process. I have spoken with hundreds of children in my work. Their opinions, experiences, and ideas are valuable contributions to the development of content made for them and their peers. It’s important that we not only design for them, but with them. Including children in the design process helps ensure the products we build reflect their actual needs, not just assumptions.

To have a real impact, we need:

  • Clearer regulations that limit how many and what kinds of persuasive design elements can appear in apps for children.
  • Industry standards that prioritize developmental needs over monetization, ensuring children’s well-being comes first..
  • Public investment in high-quality digital media for children, setting a higher standard for content development. This investment would demonstrate that it is possible to create engaging, ethical, developmentally-appropriate content to meet children’s needs.
  • Incorporating children’s voices and input from developmental experts to guide tech companies in creating better, more ethical products for young users.

It’s time to stop expecting parents to fight the screen time battles alone. It’s time to design better, together.

By Allison Caplovitz, Director of Content Research and Evaluation.

10 Feb

Posted at 16:46h in Children, Education, Kids, STEM, Technology

On February 11, the world celebrates the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. This day is dedicated to recognizing the achievements of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. It is meant to inspire the next generation of girls to pursue scientific careers. Despite progress over the past few decades, women remain underrepresented in many STEM disciplines (i.e., engineering, physics, and computer science). 

For more than a decade, I’ve studied how exposure to STEM can shape the trajectory of a child’s aspirations. Early exposure to STEM and the representation of women in STEM are especially critical to helping girls seem themselves as scientists.

The Problem: Underrepresentation of Women in STEM

The underrepresentation of women in STEM is not just a question of current numbers. It is deeply tied to the ways in which girls perceive STEM fields from a young age. One well-known tool for measuring these perceptions is the “Draw-A-Scientist” test. This research method has been used for decades to analyze how children envision scientists. 

A meta-analysis of children’s drawings found that early elementary school children drew male and female scientists in nearly equal numbers. However, high school students depicted male scientists four times more frequently than female scientists. This trend was even more pronounced among girls. At age six, about 70% of girls drew female scientists, but by age 16, only 25% did (Miller et al., 2018).

When girls don’t see themselves reflected in STEM careers, they are less likely to believe they belong in those fields. This can affect their motivation to pursue advanced coursework in science and math, reducing the likelihood of a STEM career. But research also shows a solution. Early exposure to STEM learning opportunities and female role models can foster a lasting interest in STEM.

The Importance of Early STEM Exposure

Research has consistently demonstrated that early exposure to STEM concepts and experiences can shape children’s long-term academic success and career aspirations (Bustamante et al., 2023). So how can parents, teachers, and mentors help foster a love of STEM in girls? There are several evidence-based strategies that can make a real difference.

1. Build a Better STEM Foundation with Toys and Spatial Talk

Play is a powerful way for children to develop STEM-related skills without even realizing it. Everyday toys and games like blocks, puzzles, and Legos are powerful ways to promote spatial reasoning, critical thinking, and problem solving. Research shows that early spatial reasoning (the ability to mentally manipulate shapes and objects) is a strong predictor of later success in engineering and math.

Importantly, playing with kids rather than having them play alone helps to increase enjoyment and scaffold their learning. For example, adults and kids can try building a tower together and predicting when it will fall over. Then, they can problem solve together to figure out how to prevent it from falling over again. 

Using spatial language (e.g., words like “up” “small” and “flip”) can enhance children’s spatial reasoning skills during play. Studies have found that parents who use more spatial language with their children see improvements in their children’s spatial abilities, especially for girls (Pruden & Levine, 2017).

2. Choose High-quality STEM TV Shows and Games

Representation matters. Media that portrays women and girls as capable scientists can help normalize these roles and inspire young viewers. One notable example is PBS’s SciGirls, a show that follows real girls engaging in STEM, from designing technology to conducting environmental research. Similarly, PBS’s Odd Squad TV series and games introduce children to problem-solving concepts in a fun, detective-style format that spotlights female characters. 

Fluent Research has partnered with similar organizations to conduct research on the impact of exposure to math games on children’s math learning. We have found that such games had a positive impact on foundational math skills. TV shows and games focused on STEM not only promote these important skills, but can challenge stereotypes of girls in STEM fields.

3. Give Girls more Real-World STEM Experiences

Extracurricular STEM programs provide girls with opportunities to explore science and technology outside the classroom. Organizations like Girls Who Code offer free programs that teach girls how to code in supportive, collaborative environments. Similarly, STEM-focused exposure to programs like summer camps and science fairs provide hands-on experience to a variety of STEM concepts that can pique their interest.

Programs that bring scientists and engineers into classrooms can also have a significant impact. Schools and community organizations can invite female professionals to speak about their work as scientists, engineers, and data analysts. When girls meet women in STEM careers, they recognize that success in these fields is both attainable and important.

Supporting the Next Generation of Women in STEM

Supporting the next generation of women in STEM is crucial for expanding the roles women play in these fields. Promoting girls’ interest in STEM is not just about creating opportunities. It’s about challenging stereotypes, providing role models, and fostering environments where girls can build confidence in their abilities. At Fluent, we are dedicated to conducting research that supports children’s engagement with STEM. By supporting these initiatives, we help ensure that the next generation of scientists and leaders in STEM includes more girls.

Written by Kelly Sheehan, Senior User Experience Researcher at Fluent Research

 

01 Oct

Posted at 19:28h in Children, Education, Kids, Technology

The recent Common Sense Media report on Generative AI in schools and homes found that Generative AI has rapidly become part of everyday life for teenagers, particularly in education. From helping with schoolwork to sparking interest in future careers, AI is shaping how young people learn and interact with the world.

A key concern raised in the report is that many parents are unaware of their children’s use of these tools, which creates a gap in support and guidance as teens explore AI. In addition, the report reveals that many schools lack clear guidelines for AI usage, leaving students to navigate these tools on their own, often without explicit teacher approval. This can lead to confusion about how AI should be used appropriately. It is therefore essential for educators to facilitate discussions about AI in the classroom. When students participate in these conversations, they gain a more nuanced understanding of both the advantages and challenges that AI presents.

But the future of AI in schools goes beyond teaching students how to use it appropriately. AI has the potential to transform education itself, moving away from the traditional model of hours spent sitting in classrooms and listening to lectures. I recently learned of a school that exemplifies this shift: the Alpha School in Austin, TX, which has fully integrated AI into its curriculum. Instead of being confined to traditional classroom methods, students learn core academic subjects using AI tailored to individual needs and learning styles, which leaves more time to explore life skills like financial literacy, public speaking, and problem-solving. These new opportunities allow education to be more dynamic, flexible, and suited to the diverse needs of students.

Generative AI is here to stay. Rather than sweeping it under the rug, parents and educators should embrace the technology, set clear rules, and teach teens how to use it responsibly. Schools need to develop clear AI policies and communicate them to families. Parents must educate themselves on the tools their children are using and have open conversations about how to leverage AI in positive ways.

More importantly, AI presents an opportunity to shift the traditional learning model itself. With AI, schools no longer need to rely on outdated methods of passive learning. Instead, they can create more dynamic, student-centered environments where personalized education and life skills are prioritized. By embracing AI, we can foster a new era of learning—one that not only teaches core subjects more efficiently but also equips students with the critical skills they’ll need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

By Allison Caplovitz, Director of Content Research and Evaluation