Navigating Technology and Tween/Teen Well-Being: A Program for Families with Dr. Jill Walsh

This interactive evening gives families and their youth shared language, knowledge, and practical strategies to support healthier, more balanced technology use.

Phones, social media, gaming, group chats, iPads and AI are a daily part of young people’s lives: shaping how they connect, learn, and see themselves. Join Dr. Jill Walsh, Boston University sociologist and researcher on social media and adolescent development, for an engaging, research-informed program designed for both parents/caregivers and students.

Separate sessions for parents/caregivers and students will be held simultaneously and explore how digital media and online platforms influence identity, stress, relationships, and mental health — and how to make technology work for your family, not against it.

In this program, students will:

• Meet with high school students to talk about real-life healthy tech habits
• Learn how social media and algorithms shape what they see
• Understand misinformation vs. disinformation
• Explore how bots, viral trends, and emotionally charged content influence behavior
• Gain practical tools to protect their mental health online
• Practice how to pause, think critically, and spot misleading content before sharing
• Learn why digital breaks and self-care matter

In this program, parents/caregivers will:

• Have the opportunity to speak with and ask questions of school leaders
• Hear insights from Dr. Walsh’s research on how digital media affects tween and teen identity, stress, and well-being
• Understand why high-emotion and distressing content impacts the brain
• Learn how algorithms, “going viral,” and online manipulation work
• Discuss modeling healthy technology behavior at home
• Explore ways to create realistic family technology expectations and boundaries
• Gain strategies for talking with kids about mistakes and online challenges with empathy

This FREE event is brought to the community by: Spark Kindness, Natick 180, Natick Health Department, Natick Supports Mental Health, Natick Public Schools, Town of Natick, and Natick Above The Influence.

Accessibility

Spark Kindness is committed to providing events that are accessible to all community members. Please contact us with accommodation questions or requests at info@sparkkindness.org. Spark Kindness is an Autism Welcoming Organization.

About Our Presenter

Dr. Walsh is a sociology lecturer at Boston University. She is also the founder of Digital Aged, a consulting group that educates students, families, and educational institutions about positive technology use. She earned a PhD in Sociology from Boston University, a Masters in Public Policy from Brown University, and a BA from Harvard University. Before she attended graduate school, Dr. Walsh taught students in 9th -12th grades at Noble and Greenough School in Massachusetts.

Her research examines how digital media use shapes psychosocial well-being and development. She focuses on social media and identity formation, parasocial relationships, and the connections between technology and mental health. She currently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses at Boston University.