translating digital rights into equitable learning and thriving environments.
We study and design for children's and adolescents' development in a world full of emerging technologies. We partner with youth, educators, families, and school districts to translate child-centered design and children's digital rights principles into practices, policies, and tools for empowered tech use.
Children, Teens, and Tech Lab
Our Approach
Kids, first
Child and adolescent development guides the questions—not the newest platform.
Digital rights
Privacy, fairness, agency, and protection from algorithmic harm shape the lab’s work.
AI, critically
Critical approaches to the role genAI can and should play in children's lives.
With schools
Partnerships, interventions, and design sessions with educators and communities.
Our Research
Youth-led approaches to GenAI policy, guidance, procurement, and acceptable use in school communities.
Current work at the intersection of childhood, design, and emerging technologies
Research training, school partnerships, and community-engaged design for technology integration challenges.
Synthesizing evidence on socioemotional, psychological, and cognitive impacts during development.
We invite educators, researchers, and community organizations to join our mission of developing humane technology and digital rights for kids. Reach out to explore potential education partnerships and community-engaged research opportunities.
Current Call
for Collaborators
Educators
We are looking for NYC teachers who want to design something practical and beneficial in partnership with our graduate designers. Teachers are given a $500 stipend for participation. Check out our Community Design Fellows page for more information or email Dr. Starks.
Our Vision for Children & Teens
We empower children and teens by translating digital rights into equitable learning environments through humane technology and child-centered research.
100%
Child-Centered approach, prioritizing digital rights and child development over tech hype in every research partnership.
Education Partnerships
We bridge the gap through educational partnerships, fostering digital rights and critical literacies for kids across diverse learning environments.
DIRECTOR
Dr. Allison Starks
Clinical Assistant Professor and director of the Children, Teens, and Tech Lab, housed at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.
Dr. Starks leads community-engaged, child-centered research on digital media, technology, and AI in learning environments. She is dedicated to translating digital rights into equitable futures.