CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — A $10 million gift from the Winston Family Foundation will help fund a new research center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to examine the long-term effects of technology and social media use on teen development.
The Winston National Center on Technology Use, Brain and Psychological Development is due to create more tools for parents, caregivers and teens to make better informed choices about how they interact with technology and social media. The gift is expected to build on three years of research focused on the link between technology use and teen mental health.
As of June 2020, 63% of parents in the United States reported that their teenagers spent more time using social media than they did in pre-pandemic times, according to research from Statista.
“It is clear we need to know more about the influence of social media experiences and device use on mental health,” UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz said in a news release. “Carolina-based researchers are leading the way in this emerging field, and this gift from Dr. Winston and the Winston Family Foundation will fuel more of the scientific discovery we need.
If you or a loved one are facing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, there is help readily available. You can call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or chat with them online. There are also resources in North Carolina available here and in South Carolina available here.