Pete Etchells

I'm thrilled to share that Unlocked has won the BPS Popular Science Book Award 2024! This is a genuine honour. At a time when conversations about tech are dominated by fear, I’m grateful to the BPS for highlighting the value of a more balanced, thoughtful approach: www.bps.org.uk/news/congrat...

Poets, if they're lucky, end up having signature poems. But they don't choose them for themselves. Instead, certain poems take on lives of their own once they're published. The Last Carry is one such example. When I first posted it here, I didn't have a clue it would reach so many people...

This is a brilliant interview with the psychologist that everyone should actually be listening to on social media effects:

The real tragedy of this whole debacle is that we’re allowing people with bestseller cachet to peddle one-cause narratives when an excellent nuanced book that understands individual differences matter is *right there* (go read @peteetchells.bsky.social book)

Scary stories about teens sell. The data tells a different story. After decades studying adolescent mental health, here's what I found: This isn't an anxious generation. It's a resilient one. Let's start treating them that way. go.ted.com/candiceodgers

This Monday, May 11th, it's our brain-based panel at the RI, London www.rigb.org/whats-on/our... Me, @peteetchells.bsky.social Nathalia Gjersoe, @soozaphone.bsky.social and a (fingers crossed) very enthused audience with many neuro questions they want answered. [Books available afterwards]

This verdict seemed very likely the moment that TikTok and Snap settled rather than go to trial. A landmark moment for Big Tech www.nytimes.com/2026/03/25/t...

Hiring! 🙌 Communications and Operations Coordinator to help share mu team's research and support a fast-moving, high-impact group. Major rebrand ahead + real chance to build things from scratch in an area where there is high media interest ⬇️. Closes 14 April. www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/communi...

Super interesting presentation on smartphone habits, automatic behavior, user perceptions, logged smartphone use, measurement gaps, and responsibility by Matt Sharpe at the @oii.ox.ac.uk www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmDx...

Thank you to @davidsonofaaron.bsky.social for hosting a thoughtful discussion about social media ban proposals in the UK. It was a pleasure to contribute to this: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Unexpected joy this evening:

Unauthorised student turned up to today’s research methods class, I guess they wanted to brush up on their meow-tiple regression skills?

Two exciting ERC-funded PhD positions on attention and technology use with @matti.vuorre.com I’ll be an (external) part of the supervision team and can highly recommend this department @tilburg-university.bsky.social tiu.nu/22989

“It’s really difficult to craft a story that explains the complexity of the research literature, but still gives people something to take away with them to do. And that’s what parents are craving' @peteetchells.bsky.social @jonsevers.bsky.social @tesmagazine.bsky.social www.tes.com/magazine/tea...

So it turns out I'm on the editorial board for a scam journal (news to me!). "Istoriya" is a SCOPUS-indexed journal apparently, but it's not this one: istoriya.ac. Two journals with the same name and ISSN, but different editorial boards - one entirely fabricated but using real academics.

Episode 8 of Screen Sense is now available wherever you get your podcasts. We’re taking a break for a while, & we thought it would be fun to finish off with a listener Q&A. In this last episode (for now), we cover Qs around VR, online safety & more: screensensepodcast.substack.com/p/episode-8-...

When it comes to screens, everyone seems to have an opinion - but how much of what we hear is actually true? Episode 7 of Screen Sense is out now, and we take on some of the most common myths and misconceptions around screen time: screensensepodcast.substack.com/p/episode-7-...

How do we ask better research questions about tech & mental health? In Ep 5 of Screen Sense, @shuhbillskee.bsky.social & I dig into why the research is messy, what better studies look like & how the public debate makes it harder to get clear answers. screensensepodcast.substack.com/p/episode-5-...

More Than Robots July edition is available now A stroll around the youth/digital/equity Venn Ft @ofcom.bsky.social @shuhbillskee.bsky.social @peteetchells.bsky.social @renatesamson.bsky.social @pshe-association.bsky.social @cfyounglives.bsky.social and more www.morethanrobots.org.uk/more-than-ro...

Episode 4 of Screen Sense is out now! This week, we explore why our public conversations about tech often get stuck in fear, and how we might move toward more helpful ways of thinking and talking about screens, wellbeing and family life: screensensepodcast.substack.com/p/episode-4-...

Episode 4 of Screen Sense is coming tomorrow morning. In the meantime, here's a last promo for our latest episode, on the myth of the digital native: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/e...

Episode 3 of Screen Sense is now live! In this week's episode, we talk about the myth of the digital native, and why pay-to-earn games models can get in the bin. Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e... Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0xU9... Substack: open.substack.com/pub/screense...

Episode 3 of Screen Sense is now live! In this week's episode, we talk about the myth of the digital native, and why pay-to-earn games models can get in the bin. Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e... Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0xU9... Substack: open.substack.com/pub/screense...

How do we have better tech conversations with our kids? Episode 2 of Screen Sense available now! Apple: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/s... Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1yiz... Substack: screensensepodcast.substack.com/p/episode-2-...

As expected, this is great. I think what will stick with me most from the first ep is: having the resources (time, academic training to read the scientific literature, money to access it!) to make an informed decision about these things is a privilege. Thank goodness for people like Andy and Pete!

Episode 1 of our new podcast Screen Sense: Parenting in a Digital World made it into the top 50 science podcasts on Apple over the weekend. You can listen here: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/s...

Screen Sense: Parenting in a Digital World, the new podcast from @shuhbillskee.bsky.social and I - first episode is now live. We hope you enjoy it. open.substack.com/pub/screense...

Please share. The coroner is asking for help tracking down next of kin for five Ian Paterson patients whose inquests are ongoing: www.bbc.com/news/article...

Screen Sense: Parenting in a Digital World, the new podcast from @shuhbillskee.bsky.social and I - first episode is now live. We hope you enjoy it. open.substack.com/pub/screense...

I’ve been a huge fan of Sea Hero Quest since the start (and you’ll know all about it if you read my first book). This new iteration sounds *amazing*. Science and gaming in the best of ways.

I am ridiculously excited for this book, it looks beautiful (and I’m sure will read beautifully, too).

🎙️Screen Sense - new podcast with me and @shuhbillskee.bsky.social, is launching next week! Two psychologists (and dads) talking honestly about what it means to raise a family in a screen-filled world - with science, real stories and zero guilt. Launching 13th June. screensensepodcast.substack.com

🎙️Screen Sense - new podcast with me and @shuhbillskee.bsky.social, is launching next week! Two psychologists (and dads) talking honestly about what it means to raise a family in a screen-filled world - with science, real stories and zero guilt. Launching 13th June. screensensepodcast.substack.com

I’m really excited to say that I’ve been recruited to the DCMS College of Experts, joining 58 external experts from across academia and industry: www.gov.uk/government/g...

Harvard university’s top governing board, the Harvard Corporation, decided this month to revoke Francesca Gino’s tenure and end her employment at Harvard Business School www.wgbh.org/news/educati...

Never take seriously those who ridicule low income people for having a smartphone or laptop. “If they’re so poor how did they buy an iPhone???” Because they’re trying to escape poverty, not the 1700s, genius. If you think basic tech access is unnecessary or a luxury, survive a month without it.

“I think we desperately need to take some of the heat out of this debate,” @peteetchells.bsky.social says. “And this paper, for me, doesn’t do that. It has the potential to go the other way.” www.science.org/content/arti...