In a world where digital environments evolve faster than science can follow, understanding how technology shapes young lives requires collaboration, creativity, and dialogue across borders. Recent years have seen a global wave of policies restricting smartphone use in schools and social media access, aimed at improving focus, learning, and well-being. Yet emerging research suggests that while such bans may reduce in-school distractions, they do not necessarily translate into improved mental health or reduced overall screen time, highlighting the need for more comprehensive digital health strategies beyond restriction alone. We will discuss these topics across Switzerland and the US, with panelists coming from IBSA Foundation for scientific research (Lugano) and the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital.
The discussion will examine how digital well-being is defined. Moving beyond simplified metrics like “screen time,” panelists will explore more meaningful indicators, including belonging, autonomy, identity, resilience, and overall digital health. Together, we will consider how digital media can actively support adolescent development, offering opportunities for connection, creativity, health education, and self-expression, while raising awareness of its problematic aspects, including Interactive Media Use Disorders.
The conversation will also focus on translating research into practice. What gaps remain between academic findings and real-world implementation in digital health? How can clinicians, educators, families, and tech companies collaborate more effectively to design environments that promote well-being? And what responsibility should technology platforms bear in shaping healthier digital ecosystems for youth?
Through audience participation, case examples, and research findings across Switzerland and the US, this dialogue on digital wellness will emphasize the importance of science-based guidance and youth voices in shaping healthy digital futures.
Looking ahead, we will reflect on how cultural values shape what constitutes “healthy” digital engagement across contexts, and on what countries can learn from one another in policy, education, and family practices.
Join us to rethink digital well-being and imagine what comes next.
This event will be preceded by the workshop Happiness 2.0: Performing the Digital Self. Please register separately.
Program
- 6:00pm – Doors open
- 6:30pm – Opening remarks
- 6:40pm – Panel discussion
- 7:30pm – Q&A
- 8:00pm – Networking
- 9:00pm – End
iCal / Outlook
Event start time
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Boston
6:00PM
Speakers
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Bio
Silvia Misti
Director
IBSA Foundation for scientific researchSilvia Misiti, MD, PhD, began her academic career in 2001 as an Assistant Professor of Endocrinology at Sapienza University of Rome, where she was actively involved in research and teaching, with a focus on molecular mechanisms of endocrine diseases. In 2012, she moved to Lugano and became Director of the IBSA Foundation for scientific research, a non-profit organization established by the Swiss pharmaceutical company IBSA Institut Biochimique SA. In this role, she promotes a vision of scientific research as a driver of cultural and social progress, integrating innovation, education, and high-quality scientific dissemination. Through strong collaborations with academic, scientific, and cultural institutions, the Foundation fosters interdisciplinary dialogue and supports the advancement of knowledge beyond traditional boundaries. She currently also serves as Head of Corporate Communication at the IBSA Group.
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Bio
Michael Rich
Founder and Director
Digital Wellness Lab,
Boston Children's HospitalMichael Rich, MD, MPH is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and practices Adolescent Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Rich spent his first career as a Hollywood filmmaker before transitioning to medicine, which provided him with a unique understanding of the power of screens to engage, connect, and change us all. He founded the Digital Wellness Lab and the Clinic for Interactive Media and Internet Disorders at Boston Children’s Hospital to bring together researchers, clinicians, and tech/media leaders to research the positive and negative effects of media and technology on children’s and teens’ health and wellbeing, and to use this research to respond to and innovate a digital environment in which we can raise healthy, smart, and kind children.
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Bio
David S. Bickham
Research Director
Digital Wellness Lab,
Boston Children's HospitalDavid S. Bickham, Ph.D. is Research Director at the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital, Director of Fellowship Training in the Division of Adolescent Health, and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Hailing from Wellsboro Pennsylvania, Dr. Bickham went on to earn his BA in psychology from Haverford College, followed by his MA and PhD in Human Ecology from the University of Texas. His work explores the intersection between young people’s media use and their health and development. Dr. Bickham uses a variety of methodologies including large surveys, Ecological Momentary Assessment, and qualitative techniques to examine how specific aspects of social media and other technology may alleviate or aggravate symptoms of depression and other mental health problems. His investigations with clinical samples from the Clinic for Interactive Media and Internet Disorders (CIMAID) examine the individual and contextual factors that predispose adolescents to experience Problematic Interactive Media Use. Dr. Bickham has authored numerous research articles and book chapters, has worked with numerous tech companies to improve the mental health of their users, and has testified to federal and state lawmakers about topics related to media and health.
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Bio
Laura Marciano
Assistant Professor
The Media School,
Indiana University BloomingtonDr. Laura Marciano is an Assistant Professor at the Media School, Indiana University Bloomington, and an associate at the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital. Her research examines how digital media use affects well-being, with a focus on adolescents. She led NIH- and Swiss National Science Foundation–funded HappyB and co-leads the Health&Happiness project, using surveys, smartphone data, and digital biomarkers to study well-being.
Dr. Marciano is active in science communication and public engagement, serving on the Board of the IBSA Foundation.
Moderator
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Bio
Sam Schwamm
Clinical Research Manager
Digital Wellness Lab,
Boston Children's HospitalSam is Clinical Research Manager at the Digital Wellness Lab. He holds a B.A. in Cognitive Science from Vassar College and a M.A. in Child Study & Human Development from Tufts University. His professional and academic background includes work in education and user experience design as well as research on children’s media and early-childhood computer science education. Sam first joined the Digital Wellness Lab as a Graduate Research Intern during 2022-2023 school year, providing support across multiple projects by assisting in data collection, management, and analysis. His research interests center on the relationship between interactive media, especially video games, and positive youth development. As Clinical Research Manager, Sam works directly with Research Director Dr. David Bickham and other members of the team to conceptualize studies, coordinate ongoing projects, analyze data, share key findings, and act as liaison with internal and external collaborators.
Partners
This event is presented by Swissnex and the IBSA Foundation for scientific research, based in Lugano, Switzerland.
