David S. Bickham

David S. Bickham, Ph.D., is the Research Director at the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital, Director of Fellowship Training in the Division of Adolescent Health, and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.

Originally from Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, Dr. Bickham earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Haverford College and a Master’s and Ph.D. in Human Ecology from the University of Texas. His research explores the intersection of young people’s media use and their health and development. Dr. Bickham uses a variety of methodologies such as large surveys, Ecological Momentary Assessment, and qualitative techniques, to examine how specific aspects of social media and other technology may alleviate or aggravate symptoms of depression and other mental health problems. His work at the Clinic for Interactive Media and Internet Disorders examines the individual and contextual factors that predispose adolescents to experience Problematic Interactive Media Use.

Dr. Bickham has authored numerous research articles and book chapters, has worked with many tech companies to improve the mental health of their users, and has testified to federal and state lawmakers about topics related to media and health.