Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania

A new study found that nearly one in five American youth aged 12 to 21 reported using AI chatbots for mental health advice. What’s more, most young people who turn to this technology for mental health advice are using these tools in secret, the researchers say, noting that most of the survey participants “told no one that they used AI chatbots for this purpose.”

P*K Professor Desmond Upton Patton studies the impact social media has on young people’s well-being and mental health. He is the founding director of SAFELab, a transdisciplinary research lab dedicated to using innovative methods to promote joy and healing in online and offline spaces.

We spoke to him about why young people might be turning to AI for mental health support, how parents can navigate their youth’s AI use, and how chatbots can be used for good.

Read the conversation at the link in our bio.

“When we make choices that seem immediately rewarding but don’t take a step back to ask if those choices are compatible with big-picture goals and values, we can get in trouble," Professor Emily Falk said about "friction-maxxing":

Technology can have detrimental impacts on the brain — enter ‘friction-maxxing’ ‘When life is too frictionless, your brain goes on autopilot,’ one clinical psychologist noted

"Beyond Endurance: Reimagining Media Praxis,” organized jointly by Annenberg doctoral students and alumni, featured a keynote and three panels exploring different dimensions of media praxis. In a moment marked by political upheaval, environmental catastrophe, and intensifying threats to media workers and scholars worldwide, the question of how to approach media scholarship and practice felt more urgent than ever.

The Center for Media at Risk, which will sunset on June 30, 2026, has empowered scholars and media practitioners for nearly a decade to identify conditions that undermine free and critical media practice worldwide and to strategize ways to respond to these risks.

“What made this symposium especially meaningful was the way it brought together our extended community to reimagine how we approach mediamaking,” said Barbie Zelizer, Raymond Williams Professor of Communication and Center for Media at Risk Director. “So much of media work today is about survival: staying safe, staying funded, staying visible. We wanted to ask a deeper question: how do we move beyond survival toward transformation?"

The two-day symposium featured a keynote address by André de Quadros, professor of music and music education at Boston University, and three panels examining how media can serve as a practical resource for resistance in an increasingly unstable and unequal world.

Read more about the symposium at the link in our bio.

A new study by the The Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania found that jury service is linked to better attitudes toward the courts, but that jury trials in the U.S. are vanishing:

Jury Service Boosts Public Trust in Courts, But Fewer Americans Are Serving Research 15 Jun 2026 Jury Service Boosts Public Trust in Courts, But Fewer Americans Are Serving A new study by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that jury service is linked to better attitudes toward the courts, but that jury trials in the U.S. are vanishing. By Annenberg Public Policy Cente...

A new survey by the The Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania found that 43% of U.S. adults favor the use of fluoride in public drinking water:

Americans Split on Fluoridation; Opposition by MAHA Supporters Notable Research 12 Jun 2026 Americans Split on Fluoridation; Opposition by MAHA Supporters Notable A new survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that 43% of U.S. adults favor the use of fluoride in public drinking water. By Annenberg Public Policy Center As the debate over the value of adding fl...

Molly Frizzell has been named the 2026-28 George Gerbner Postdoctoral Fellow at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. At USC Annenberg, Frizzell has studied reproductive technology and its impact on social bonds.

Molly Frizzell Named 2026-28 George Gerbner Postdoctoral Fellow News 9 Jun 2026 Molly Frizzell Named 2026-28 George Gerbner Postdoctoral Fellow At USC Annenberg, Frizzell has studied reproductive technology and its impact on social bonds. Molly Frizzell has been named the 2026-28 George Gerbner Postdoctoral Fellow at the Annenberg School for Communication at the...

As the Raymond Williams Professor of Communication retires after three decades, the Annenberg School for Communication and the field itself bear the unmistakable imprint of her work:

Barbie Zelizer: A Career Built on Asking the Right Question News 10 Jun 2026 Barbie Zelizer: A Career Built on Asking the Right Question As the Raymond Williams Professor of Communication retires after three decades, the Annenberg School for Communication and the field itself bear the unmistakable imprint of her work. By Mandira Banerjee Some scholars study....

A new study by Penn researchers investigated whether conversations with AI-powered chatbots can change vaccine-hesitant parents intentions to vaccinate their children:

Testing AI Against Public Health’s Existing Tools Research 10 Jun 2026 Testing AI Against Public Health’s Existing Tools A new study by Penn researchers investigated whether conversations with AI-powered chatbots can change vaccine-hesitant parents intentions to vaccinate their children. By Ian Scheffler, Penn Engineering A new Penn-led randomize...

Join us for a panel discussion at the Penn Museum as part of Penn & Philly 250: A Celebration of Community, Culture, and Freedom!

Democracy, Freedom of Speech, Civic Engagement, and Mobilization in These Times