Preview Mode Links will not work in preview mode
Join Delaney Ruston, MD, a leading authority on parenting in the digital age and the filmmaker of the award-winning Screenagers movies, as she explores strategies for raising screen-wise and tech-balanced youth. Through interviews with researchers, thought leaders, and young people themselves, The Screenagers Podcast delivers the latest in science along with practical tips and important insights that parents will want to share with their kids and teens.
  1. All Episodes
  2. Boredom In, Boredom Out: How Teens Experience Social Media

Boredom In, Boredom Out: How Teens Experience Social Media

May 26, 2025

Why is it so hard for teens and young adults to cut back on social media — even when they truly want to? What emotional triggers keep pulling them back onto apps, and what actually happens once they're there?

In this episode of Parenting in the Screen Age, host Dr. Delaney Ruston explores these questions with Dr. Katie Davis, a leading expert on youth and technology. Dr. Davis is a professor at the University of Washington’s Information School, with an adjunct appointment in the College of Education. She co-directs the UW Digital Youth Lab and is the author of three books on how technology shapes young people’s learning, development, and well-being.

They dive into a recent study by Dr. Davis that explores the emotional and situational drivers behind teens’ social media use—from the triggers that lead them to open an app to what happens emotionally while they’re on it. The research offers powerful insights that can help young people and adults make more mindful choices around screen time.

This episode is ideal for both adults and tweens who want to better understand the “why” behind social media habits. Plus, hear a college student’s candid reaction to the interview and how it’s influencing her own efforts to cut back on social media use

 

Featured Expert

Katie Davis, PhD

 

Research References

You Go Through So Many Emotions Scrolling Through Instagram”: How Teens Use Instagram To Regulate Their Emotions (Katie Davis, PhD, et al.) 

Supporting Teens’ Intentional Social Media Use Through Interaction Design: An exploratory proof-of-concept study (Katie Davis PhD, et al.)

Digital Health Practices, Social Media Use, and Mental Well-Being Among Teens and Young Adults in the U.S. Hopelab & Well Being Trust

 

Time Code

00:00 Introduction and Personal Struggles with Social Media

00:22 Welcome to Parenting in the Screen Age

00:47 Challenges Teens Face with Social Media

01:17 Introducing Boosting Bravery Program

01:59 Exploring Research on Social Media Use

03:37 Interview with Dr. Katie Davis

04:16 Understanding Teens' Social Media Behavior

05:57 Emotional Triggers and Social Media

07:44 Mindless Diversions vs. Deliberate Acts

20:23 Designing Better Social Media Experiences

26:23 College Student's Reflection

28:23 Conclusion and Resources