More countries are enacting policies to restrict teens’ social media and smartphone use. But developmental psychologist Candice Odgers says that won’t address the bigger problems facing teens today.
About Candice Odgers
Candice Odgers is a developmental psychologist and Associate Dean for Research at the University of California Irvine. She is also a researcher and professor at Duke University. She researches adolescent mental health, particularly in relation to smartphones and social media.
She co-directs both the Child & Brain Development Program at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and CERES, an international network evaluating the impact of digital technologies for children and adolescents. She is also a former William T. Grant Foundation Scholar.
Related Web Resources
Related TED Talk: How screens stole childhood — and how to get it back
Related TED Talk: 3 fears about screen time for kids — and why they’re not true
Related NPR Links
TED Radio Hour: Did social media break a generation — or just change it?
TED Radio Hour: How to feel alive in an exhausting world
Copyright 2026 NPR
