Official Bio

Dr. Devorah Heitner is the author of Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World and her book on navigating Privacy and Reputation with kids and teens, Growing Up in Public will be out in 2023 with Penguin Random House.

Dr. Heitner’s work has appeared in the New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and CNN Opinion. She has a Ph.D. in Media/Technology & Society from Northwestern University and has taught at DePaul and Northwestern. She is delighted to be raising her own teenager and she lives with her family in Chicagoland. You can follow her on Twitter @Devorahheitner and on Instagram @devorahheitnerphd.

Want to interview Devorah?

Email your request to adrienne.fontaine@finnpartners.com

Featured In:

Devorah in the Press Devorah on TV Articles by Devorah Radio and Podcasts

Areas of Expertise

Digital Citizenship, Discord, TikTok, Online Safety, Fake News, Online Hate Speech and Bullying, Kids and Social Media, Tech Distractions, Edtech, Online Bullying Prevention, Digital Footprint, Internet Safety, Criteria for Choosing Apps and Games, Privacy, Digital Wellness, SEL, Digital Culture, School Tech Policies, Sexting, Instagram, Snapchat, Gaming, Minecraft, Online Gaming, Digital Etiquette

Featured Media

If your kid has a smartphone, is it OK to look through it? Why experts recommend that parents ‘disclose’ monitoring

How To Talk To Teens About Nudes And Online Safety

Cyberbullying affects almost half of American teens. Parents may be unaware.

Kids As Young As 8 Are Using Social Media More Than Ever, Study Finds

Instagram Adds Parental Controls For The First Time

Worried About Your Teen On Social Media? Here’s How To Help

California Protected Kids Online In A Way Every State Should Follow

Devorah in the Press

So, Your Kid Wants to Be a YouTuber. Should You Let Them?

Kids as Young as 8 Are Using Social Media More Than Ever, Study Finds

“Why I started asking permission before sharing my kids’ photos on Facebook” by Heidi Stevens

Most Students Don’t Know When News Is Fake, Stanford Study Finds

Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive in Their Digital World

How to Make Screen Time Rules That Work for Your Family

Teaching Your Kids to Be Safe Online: A Hasty Primer:

Want to Cut Down Your Screen Time?

How to talk to teens about nudes and online safety

The underdiscussed upsides of screen time for kids

A Parent’s Guide to Social Media

Why Asking Your Kids Permission Might Not Be Enough

Talking Dolls May Spread Children’s Secrets

Here’s How You Can *Really* Tell If Your Kid Is Ready For Their Own Phone

Fact or Fallacy? The Impact of Screen Time

No camp for kids this summer?: How to entertain your children while you work from home

Worried About Your Teen on Social Media? Here’s How to Help.

8 Questions for Devorah Heitner

How can parents protect their children online?

Think Twice Before Posting Your Kids’ Photos Online, Here’s Why

Instagram Adds Parental Controls for the First Time

My Family Tested 20 Kid-Safe Phones

At Your Wit’s End With a Screen Obsessed Kid?

California Protected Kids Online In A Way Every State Should Follow

Kids as Young as 8 Are Using Social Media More Than Ever, Study Finds

Instagram Adds Parental Controls for the First Time

Devorah on TV

Selected Articles by Devorah

Rules for Social Media, Created by Kids

Kids pay the price for adults’ failures to act against racism

What parents should do instead of worrying that smartphones will ‘destroy’ their kids

Responding to Hate Speech and Bullying in the Digital Age

What to do when other parents have different technology rules

Help Digital Kids Build Social Emotional Skills

Engaging Parents With Tech Initiatives

Kids Don’t Always Love Technology

Put ‘Screen Time’ Debates to Rest by Making Kids Leaders

Helping Students Navigate the World of Texting

Should You Let Your Kid Get That App Here’s How to Set Boundaries During Social Distancing

Is Your Child Ready for a Phone: Look for These Independence Milestones

Five Ways to Transform Your Kids’ Screen Time

Remote learning exacerbates inequality. Here’s how we must support the most vulnerable kids

Helping Teenagers Learn to Repair Digital Mistakes

When the news intrudes: Helping kids make sense of the media

For Kids, ‘Doing School’ at Home Can Be Difficult. Some Ways That Parents and Teachers Can Help

Want to Learn About Teens and Their Connected Lives? Read Behind Their Screens and Watch Heartstopper

Radio and Podcasts

Tilt Parenting

Online Safety, Internet “Rabbit Holes,” and Differently Wired Kids

WNYC – All of It with Allison Stewart

Screen-Free Summer

Brave Writer: Technology and Kids with Devorah Heitner

Technology and Kids with Devorah Heitner

1000 Hours Outside

Dealing with a Limitless Digital World When We Don't Have Limitless Time

Minimalist Moms

Becoming a "Screenwise" Parent with Devorah Heitner

Dr. Robyn

How to Talk To Your Kids About Being a Social Media Star

How To with Charles Duhigg a Slate Podcast

Acing Remote School: Why Screen Time Can Actually Be Good for Your Kids

Slate

Mom and Dad Are Fighting: The “Sad Laura Ashley Bat Mitzvah Dress” Edition

NPR Life Kit

5 Strategies For Coping With Screen-Obsessed Kids

Where Parents Talk

Dr. Devorah Heitner on Parenting in a Digital World & Breaking down Barriers with Food with Rishma Govani

WGN Radio: The Download

How can you help your child thrive in a digital world?

Lake Effect – WUWM

Should You Give Your Kid A Device For The Holidays? Maybe Not.

Radio New Zealand

Devorah Heitner - keeping digital natives safe

un-PARENT-ly

Managing social media: Screenwise author Devorah Heitner explains why parents need to mentor rather than monitor

Charlotte Talks

Kids’ Screen Time Skyrockets During Pandemic, Tips For Finding Balance

On Boys

Managing Screen Time During the Pandemic

Sunshine Parenting

Being a “Tech Positive” Parent with Devorah Heitner

Family Confidential

Raising Digital Natives — Guest: Dr. Devorah Heitner

Zen Parenting Podcast

Raising Digital Natives: A discussion with Devorah Heitner, author of Screenwise

The Parental Compass

Raising Children in the Digital Age

Parenting Bytes

Meditation Instead Of Detention In Schools Really Works!

WOSU Public Media: Tech Tuesday

Digital Natives, Wine Apps, and Video Games

No Guilt Mom

How to Tackle Screen Time This School Year with Devorah Heitner

BBC World Service

Many students ‘don’t know’ if the news is fake

Good Kids: Stay At Home Edition

How To Balance Screen Time While Kids Are Stuck at Home (with Devorah Heitner)

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