Overview
Exposure to and use of TDM is becoming increasingly common from infancy through adolescence. As use of TDM among these age groups has risen rapidly, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, families have faced a lack of research to guide decisionmaking about TDM use and exposure, including ways to minimize potential harm and maximize potential positive outcomes. Better understanding of the effects of TDM on development across domains, as well as on overall health and well-being, can inform best practices for age-appropriate interactions with TDM.
In response to the Children and Media Research Advancement (CAMRA) Act, which was included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (P.L. 117-328), NICHD, through its Child Development and Behavior Branch, and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) formed a collaboration to support research on the short- and long-term effects of TDM in infants, children, and adolescents.
The goals of this collaboration are to better understand the positive and negative impacts of exposure to and use of TDM on infant, child, and adolescent development and mental health; and to expand the evidence base to inform appropriate use as well as prevention and intervention programs. To achieve these goals, the collaboration will prioritize scientifically rigorous studies that capture the complex relationship between TDM and development for individuals from diverse backgrounds and circumstances and that characterize the impacts of TDM across ages and developmental stages.
Topic Areas
- Modeling the complex relationships between TDM and development
- Improving measurement and study design
- Expanding participation of and focus on underrepresented groups
- Building evidence-based prevention and intervention programs
More Information
- Addressing the Impacts of Technology and Digital Media on Infants, Children, & Adolescents: NIH collaborated with experts to develop this research agenda to help guide work on addressing the impacts of TDM use and exposure on the development of infants, children, and adolescents.
- Fact Sheet: Digital Media and Children's Health: Understanding the Effects of TDM on Development (PDF 301 KB)
- 2024 NICHD-NIMH Workshop: Impact of TDM on Child and Adolescent Development and Mental Health
- 2018 NICHD Workshop: Media Exposure and Early Child Development
- Executive Summary (PDF 437 KB)
- Funding Opportunities (the following opportunities have expired; when new opportunities are available, we will list them):
- RFA-MH-24-181: Bidirectional Influences Between Adolescent Social Media Use and Mental Health (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)
- RFA-MH-24-180: Bidirectional Influences Between Adolescent Social Media Use and Mental Health (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
- RFA-MH-23-116: Bidirectional Influences Between Adolescent Social Media Use and Mental Health (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)
- RFA-MH-23-115: Bidirectional Influences Between Adolescent Social Media Use and Mental Health (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
- RFA-HD-22-009: Impact of Technology and Digital Media (TDM) Exposure/Usage on Child and Adolescent Development (P01 Clinical Trial Optional)
- NICHD Contact: Courtney Gallen
- NIMH Contact: Julia Zehr
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