How to promote kids' digital wellness with Michael Rich

Brad
May 30
3 min read

Release date: June 2, 2025

This episode is about digital wellness, and my guest is Michael Rich. Michael is a pediatrician, the Founder and Director of the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital (a Harvard Medical School Teaching Hospital) and the author of The Mediatrician’s Guide: A Joyful Approach to Raising Healthy, Smart, Kind Kids in a Screen-Saturated World. In his book, Michael writes, “The best strategy for protecting your child from potential harm is to teach them not just to survive, but to thrive in the screen media environment: to cultivate their awareness, develop their critical thinking, awaken their creativity, and nurture their empathy, providing them with the skills to harness the positive affordances and to recognize and avoid the negative influences of the screens that surround us all.” Michael and I discuss this wonderful goal and some techniques for making it a reality. The episode was recorded during a live webinar that Talking About Kids regularly convenes with the Arizona Alliance for Adolescent Health (AAAH), so you also will hear from Celeste Krell-Colum and Vinny Chulani of AAAH. More information about Michael, the Digital Wellness Lab, his book, and AAAH is below.

Biography of Michael Rich

Michael Rich, MD, MPH practices adolescent medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital and is an associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Rich is the founder and director of the Digital Wellness Lab and the Clinic for Interactive Media and Internet Disorders (CIMAID), the first evidence-based medical program addressing physical, mental, and social health issues associated with digital technology use. Known as “The Mediatrician,” Dr. Rich offers research-based, actionable, and practical answers to parents’, educators’, and clinicians’ questions about children’s and adolescents’ media use and the positive and negative implications for their health and development. Dr. Rich is recognized for his acclaimed work as a pediatrician, child health researcher, and children’s media specialist and is the author of The Mediatrician’s Guide: A Joyful Approach to Raising Healthy, Smart, Kind Kids in a Screen-Saturated World.

Biography of Celeste Krell-Colum

I am an experienced Program Manager passionate about health equality and access to sexual and reproductive health for women of color, LGBTQIA2S+, and BIPOC communities. During the past 6 years my efforts have been focused on improving the quality of and access to care for adolescents and adults. I can help any organization reduce its costs, improve or implement inclusive policies and procedures, and execute inclusive quality care processes.

Biography of Veenod Chulani

Dr. Chulani is Section Chief of Adolescent Medicine at Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Clinical Professor of Pediatrics in the University of Arizona -Phoenix Department of Child Health. He is also a founding member and clinical consultant to the Arizona Alliance for Adolescent Health. He completed his pediatric residency training at Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York; his fellowship in Adolescent Medicine at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles; and, his Master’s in Education from the University of Southern California-Keck School of Medicine. His clinical and research interests include adolescent sexual and reproductive health, the care of gay, lesbian, bisexual transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, health equity promotion and diversity and inclusion. He has lectured nationally and internationally on a host of topics related to Adolescent Medicine. He has delivered lectures and workshops nationally and internationally and is the recipient of numerous awards recognizing his contribution to adolescent health.