Sparking Engagement

Our ability to trust other people is foundational to our personal relationships and to society as a whole, and adolescence is a key time for learning how to balance the vulnerability and emotional risks it requires. In this episode, Ron talks with Eveline Crone, developmental neuroscientist at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, and Jennifer Rodgriquez, executive director of the Youth Law Center in San Francisco, about how we can help adolescents develop the capacity to trust in an era when it's getting harder to believe what we hear and see.  

Youth Scientific Council on Adolescence members Jeevana Doddi, Kevin Ramirez, and Yonathan Kiflezghie talk with University of Washington professor Lucia Magis-Weinberg about what research says are the real benefits and challenges of social media, and how young people can manage that balance. This is the last of our three-episode 2026 youth-led miniseries of the Adaptivity podcast, hosted by Ron Dahl.  

Youth Scientific Council on Adolescence members Brooke Smith, Danari Golden, Layah Belay Simmons, and Ananshaa Singh who talk with professor Hannah Schacter from Wayne State University in Detroit about how friendships and romantic relationships in adolescence can impact connections throughout our lives. This is the second of our three-episode 2026 youth-led miniseries of the Adaptivity podcast, hosted by Ron Dahl.  

Youth Scientific Council on Adolescence members Alex Binaford, Maya Bachi, and Odalis Hernandez talk with University of Oregon professor Jennifer Pfeifer about supporting mental health in the midst of the many transitions during adolescence, to new schools, new experiences, and new friend groups. This is the first of our three-episode 2026 youth-led miniseries of the Adaptivity podcast, hosted by Ron Dahl.  

In this panel discussion, recorded live at SXSW EDU 2026, Ron talks with researchers Nick Allen, Thao Ha, and Alison Lee, and with app creator and student Elle Liemandt, about the social and emotional experiences young people need—in real life and digital spaces—to become contributing, collaborative, and connected humans in a rapidly changing world.

Ron talks with Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, authors of The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better, about how we can harness adolescents' natural motivations for agency and connection to spark authentic engagement in education. And how we can ensure that new technologies support healthy engagement, learning, and social development instead of hijacking youth engagement for profit.

Youth Scientific Council on Adolescence members Liam Garcia, Merlot Ghadoushi, and Jaleon Nocentelli talk with UCLA Psychology Professor Ted Robles about the "mind-body connection," and what the research says about how our developmental needs for caring relationships, contributing to others, belonging, and learning to navigate strong emotions can help us thrive emotionally as well as physically. This is the first of three episodes of "Our Youth's Perspective 2025"—an annual youth-led miniseries of the Adaptivity podcast, hosted by Ron Dahl.

Youth Scientific Council on Adolescence members Benjamin Olaniyi, Brynn Santos, Madison Cheungsomboune, and Stephany Cartney talk with University of Oregon professor of clinical psychology Nick Allen about how AI is likely to shape education for young people, and why it can be something we embrace… instead of fear. This is the last of three episodes of "Our Youth's Perspective 2025"—an annual youth-led miniseries of the Adaptivity podcast, hosted by Ron Dahl.  

Youth Scientific Council on Adolescence members Abril Rodriguez Martell, Emily Zhu, and Sebastian Gaytan D'Amico talk with UCLA Professor Leanna Hernandez to get answers to their questions about "nature v. nurture," or how genetics and environment interact to affect our development. This is the second of three episodes of "Our Youth's Perspective 2025"—an annual youth-led miniseries of the Adaptivity podcast, hosted by Ron Dahl.  

Ron talks with researchers Nick Allen and Jacqueline Nesi about how developmental science could help us design social media and other technology to not only decrease risks, but also amplify new opportunities created by the digital world. Guests: Max, a 17-year-old student from the San Francisco Bay Area Nick Allen, PhD, professor of clinical psychology at the University of Oregon and the director of the Center for Digital Mental Health Jacqueline Nesi, assistant professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University and author of the popular weekly newsletter TechnoSapiens Topics: What Max learned from his break from social media Three fundamental principles for evaluating social media How digital tech could be designed and used to promote health and wellbeing The main "yellow flags" of digital tech use by adolescents How tech could amplify benefits for young people who are struggling or facing other disadvantages