How digital platforms can intentionally foster teen emotional development

It’s not just about screen time — it’s about what screen time could be.

Earlier this summer, Youth Today published a thoughtful piece on how digital devices can lift up and support adolescents when used intentionally. Penned by Mark Cloutier, CEO of the behavioral health organization Caminar, it was a reminder of something we all know: Teens today live much of their lives online, and these tools can play a powerful role in shaping their well-being when used effectively.

Building on this conversation — his call for balance, encouraging teens to “spend their time with technology more wisely” — raises a deeper question: What if the platforms teens already use were intentionally designed to support that wise usage? What if, instead of relying solely on time limits and parental guidance, the technology itself actively fostered the social-emotional skills teens need to thrive?

Moving beyond individual responsibility

Teenagers now spend more than eight hours a day online. Whether they’re watching videos, gaming or scrolling social media, they’re immersed in digital spaces for most of their waking hours. And yet, many of these environments are built to maximize participation, not growth.

Social emotional learning (SEL) — developing skills like self-awareness, empathy, and managing emotions — remains the domain of in-person experiences in classrooms and youth-serving programs. While those systems work hard to offer SEL-rich environments, many youth development practitioners now wonder how similar opportunities can be embedded into the digital spaces where teens already spend so much time.

Recent research commissioned by the Ruderman Family Foundation, in partnership with Boston Children’s Hospital’s Digital Wellness Lab and Education Development Center, reveals the missed opportunity here.

As Jay Ruderman, president of the Ruderman Family Foundation, put it: “Today’s youth are spending the majority of their waking hours in digital spaces, yet these platforms are missing a critical opportunity to support their emotional and social development.”

[Related: Q&A — From anxiety to connection — How Wyman helps teens build social skills]

Instead, features like infinite scroll and popularity-based metrics dominate. These designs are great for keeping users hooked, but they do little to foster the qualities that help teens thrive offline.

Teens themselves want more. Rather than dismissing screen time reminders, young people in the study expressed hunger for platforms offering genuine support for emotional regulation, meaningful connection tools, and purposeful breaks from digital consumption. In one qualitative focus group, a teen shared: “I want to be able to go on social media and feel better, not worse.” Another stated: “Apps could help me understand my feelings or remind me to take a break.”

Building on existing benefits

Courtesy of Kate Levi

Kate Levi

Cloutier highlighted several positive aspects of digital technology: community building for LGBTQ youth, emotional support through social connections and creative outlets through gaming and art applications. These benefits demonstrate that digital platforms can support adolescent well-being, but they represent just the beginning.

To move beyond these strengths, the Ruderman Foundation’s white paper outlines specific teen-generated ideas for what they’d like to see from platforms. For example:

• Real-time AI coaching to help with conflict resolution in social media chats,
• Built-in calming features like mood check-ins or breathing tools,
• Mentorship functions that connect users with older peers or volunteers,
• Game mechanics that reward empathy, collaboration and shared problem-solving rather than competition

These suggestions came directly from teen participants and reflect the opportunities platforms are currently missing. Incorporating even a handful of these features could shift platforms from simply preventing harm to actively promoting mental and emotional development.

Such solutions would take the conversation started on Youth Today one step further — not just preventing harm but actively using technology to help teens build the skills they need to succeed both online and off.

The Untapped Potential

That opportunity is too important to ignore. Digital platforms can, in fact, be places where teens practice collaboration, resolve conflicts and develop resilience. Emerging technologies present particularly promising possibilities for creating low-risk environments where teens can practice crucial social skills without immediate real-world consequences.

These aren’t theoretical possibilities. The tools and knowledge exist. What’s missing is recognition that supporting youth well-being isn’t a luxury feature but a fundamental responsibility, especially given the scale of teenage engagement with these platforms.

A shared responsibility

This isn’t a responsibility that should fall on tech companies alone, or on teachers and schools. A broader coalition of educators, youth development professionals, parents, mental health practitioners, and teens themselves must be involved. Partnerships across these groups can help ensure that the tools we create truly support young people’s development. When technology is designed with intentionality, it can complement the work happening in classrooms and youth organizations instead of competing with it.

Making change happen

This shift won’t happen overnight, but we’ve already seen glimmers of what’s possible. Apps that prompt users to reflect on how they’re feeling before posting or tools that gamify kindness online are small but powerful examples of how design choices can shape behavior. Scaling these ideas, and building new ones, could transform the digital landscape for the better.

Digital devices aren’t going away, and perhaps we’re looking at them in the wrong light. They offer incredible opportunities for connection, creativity and learning. But we can no longer ignore the fact that teens spend much of their lives in digital spaces that do little to support their well-being. By designing with intention and centering youth development, we can make screen time something that strengthens, rather than undermines, the qualities that help teens thrive.

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Kate Levi is a mental health advocate whose work centers on the intersection of emotional well-being and the digital world. With a foundation in child psychology, she examines how online environments can both support and hinder the emotional development of young people.