The Science of ParentingJune 16, 2025
What I Wish Parents Knew about Social Media
I study social media for a living. Here’s what parents need to know so that kids can use it safely and productively
Stories by Laura Edelson
Laura Edelson is a computer scientist at Northeastern University who studies social media transparency and content-recommendation systems. She is also the author of the research study “Measurement and Metrics for Content Moderation.” Follow her on X @LauraEdelson2 or BlueSky @whiskeyocelot.bsky.social
OpinionNovember 10, 2023
We Need Product Safety Regulations for Social Media
As social media more frequently exposes people to brutality and untruths, we need to treat it like a consumer product, and that means product safety regulations
OpinionApril 28, 2022
It’s Time to Open the Black Box of Social Media
Social media companies need to give their data to independent researchers to better understand how to keep users safe
OpinionSeptember 22, 2021
How Facebook Hinders Misinformation Research
The platform strictly limits and controls data access, which stymies scientists