U-M Digital Wellness Youth and Parent Symposium

Middle school can be a time when kids are diving into the digital world for the first time. Let's explore this with parents and their kids!

About this Event

Calling 6th, 7th and 8th Graders and Their Parents/Caregivers!

Middle school can be a time when kids are getting their first phones, texting, signing up for social media, and exploring the web on their own. Sometimes, online life is fun and rewarding, connecting us to our interests and the people we care about. At other times, it can feel overwhelming, addictive, or manipulative.

The past two years have reminded us of how much we rely on our devices. We want kids to thrive when they are online, and we want parents and caregivers to have confidence and tools for supporting that journey.

Please join us Saturday, May 14, from 8:45 a.m.—12:30 p.m., for the U-M Digital Wellness Conference! We’re looking for 40 two-person teams (middle schooler plus parent/caregiver) to join us on Zoom for a fun morning of learning, conversation, and activities about healthy online behaviors. There will be time for kid-only activities with U-M students, time for adults to engage with the featured speaker, and at-home conversation prompts or challenge activities to complete together.

Our Keynote speaker will be Diana Graber, author of Raising Humans in a Digital World: Helping Kids Build a Healthy Relationship with Technology. Graber is an expert in supporting kids and families in establishing healthy online habits—which we call digital wellness.

The Digital Wellness Symposium was developed by Professors Liz Kolb (U-M SOE) and Kristin Fontichiaro (UMSI).

This project is made possible in part by the University of Michigan School of Education, the University of Michigan School of Information, and the University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching. The project is also supported by the Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning (MACUL).