Screen Time Podcast from the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy

March 25, 2022 | Screen Time podcast is an eight-episode podcast miniseries that explores the rapidly evolving relationship between kids and technology. Co-hosted by Max Bell School professor Taylor Owen, who also directs the School's Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy, Catch up on the first three episodes:

Episode 1 – Are Kids Already in the Metaverse? 

When you hear “the metaverse,” you may conjure an image of an abstract virtual world of the future. Well, according to some researchers, early versions of the metaverse are already here, in the forms of popular gaming platforms like Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft. What are the implications for how youth socialize? Is there truly a division between "real life" and "online life," or is that an artificial distinction?

Episode 2 – Are Screens Breaking Kids’ Brains?

Is a rise in screen time changing the way children's brains develop? In answering this question, there's one important thing to keep in mind: Not all types of screen time are equal; content matters. Hear from three experts on the ways screens and the content they provide are influencing kids' cognitive development.

Episode 3 – The Influencer Generation

Social media has connected the world in unprecedented ways. But it's fair to say that the techno-utopian promise of social media has come with some harmful side effects—especially for young people. How can parents tell if a teen's social media use is harming their mental health? What makes photo and video apps so magnetic? And why do such apps, generally, affect kids of different genders in different ways?

Listen to the first three episodes of Screen Time here, or wherever you get your podcasts.