The Temporary Working Group (TWG) on Children, Adolescents, and Media (CAM) addresses critical societal questions regarding the role of media in the lives of children and adolescents, who are in a unique and formative developmental stage. During this period, they undergo neurobiological and socio-emotional changes, increasing their peer sensitivity, need for autonomy and social exploration, and navigating their identity formation. Simultaneously, the rapidly changing media landscape — with new platforms, technologies, and content — is reshaping how children and adolescents interact with the world.
To better understand the complex and multifaceted role of media in youth’s lives, the CAM TWG brings together experts from various fields, integrating diverse perspectives and methodologies, creating new theoretical frameworks and refining existing ones. The TWG encourages research on several key themes, including how children and adolescents are represented in media, their roles as consumers and producers of content, and how these dynamics shape youth identities. Other key areas of focus include the broader societal, educational, and cultural contexts that influence media engagement, such as the roles of peers, parents, educators, and other youth professionals (e.g., youth workers), as well as the effects of media on youth development, particularly their physical, mental, and social well-being, which are critical to understanding the broader impact of media on their lives.
In addition, the CAM TWG provides a platform for addressing societal challenges in the digital age, such as youth exposure to biased or misleading information and the protection of their rights in digital spaces. The TWG fosters dialogue on interventions that support digital resilience and amplify youth voices, ensuring children and adolescents are empowered to actively participate and express their agency in media spaces. The TWG ultimately aspires to create a robust network that bridges academic research and practical applications, ensuring that insights gained from research directly inform and benefit society.
Steering committee
Chair: Amber van der Wal (University of Amsterdam)
Chair: Chiara de Jong (Erasmus University Rotterdam)
Lara Schreurs (KU Leuven)
Anne Sadza (Radboud University Nijmegen)
Tom De Leyn (U Hasselt)
PhD representative: Thalia Van Wichelen (U Antwerpen)