Pete Etchells
@peteetchells.bsky.social
Professor of Psychology and Science Communication | Award-winning science writer | Screen Time | Social Media | Smartphones | Video games | https://linktr.ee/unlockedbook
Pinned
Pete Etchells
@peteetchells.bsky.social
· Dec 20
www.bps.org.uk
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...
www.bps.org.uk/news/congrat...
Unauthorised student turned up to today’s research methods class, I guess they wanted to brush up on their meow-tiple regression skills?
November 4, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Unauthorised student turned up to today’s research methods class, I guess they wanted to brush up on their meow-tiple regression skills?
Reposted by Pete Etchells
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
I’ll be an (external) part of the supervision team and can highly recommend this department @tilburg-university.bsky.social
tiu.nu/22989
October 23, 2025 at 5:12 PM
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
I’ll be an (external) part of the supervision team and can highly recommend this department @tilburg-university.bsky.social
tiu.nu/22989
Reposted by Pete Etchells
“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...
@jonsevers.bsky.social @tesmagazine.bsky.social
www.tes.com/magazine/tea...
Is Jonathan Haidt right about smartphones?
In ‘The Anxious Generation’, Haidt makes the case that social media and smartphones have ‘rewired’ today’s teenagers, but his critics say the evidence tells us something very different - and that bann...
www.tes.com
September 3, 2025 at 1:27 PM
“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...
@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.
August 22, 2025 at 1:07 PM
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.
@taylorlorenz.bsky.social hi Taylor, where’s the best place to send a message or email? I have a book coming out in the US next week and I was wondering if you’d be interested in a copy.
August 11, 2025 at 10:52 PM
@taylorlorenz.bsky.social hi Taylor, where’s the best place to send a message or email? I have a book coming out in the US next week and I was wondering if you’d be interested in a copy.
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-...
In this last episode (for now), we cover Qs around VR, online safety & more: screensensepodcast.substack.com/p/episode-8-...
Episode 8: Ask Pete and Andy
Listen now | Keeping kids safe online, the movement against ed tech, the biggest challenges to research, and more
screensensepodcast.substack.com
August 2, 2025 at 10:42 PM
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-...
In this last episode (for now), we cover Qs around VR, online safety & more: screensensepodcast.substack.com/p/episode-8-...
Reposted by Pete Etchells
Have seen a few mentions on here lately about the 1980s ninja panic in the UK, so am reposting my piece about how this led to the BBC broadcasting the Teenage Mutant HERO Turtles in 1990
tribunemag.co.uk/2021/04/when...
tribunemag.co.uk/2021/04/when...
When the Right Tried to Cancel the Turtles
In the 1980s and '90s, successive moral panics about hooliganism and violence on TV culminated in a right-wing campaign against a dangerous social phenomenon: the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
tribunemag.co.uk
July 30, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Have seen a few mentions on here lately about the 1980s ninja panic in the UK, so am reposting my piece about how this led to the BBC broadcasting the Teenage Mutant HERO Turtles in 1990
tribunemag.co.uk/2021/04/when...
tribunemag.co.uk/2021/04/when...
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-...
screensensepodcast.substack.com/p/episode-7-...
Episode 7: Screen time myths and misconceptions
Mythconceptions?
screensensepodcast.substack.com
July 25, 2025 at 9:49 AM
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-...
screensensepodcast.substack.com/p/episode-7-...
Reposted by Pete Etchells
Ozzy going out after raising $190 million for sick kids and a Parkinson’s cure is metal AF.
Ozzy Osbourne Farewell Show Was The Highest-Grossing Charity Concert Of All Time
On July 5, Ozzy Osbourne put on a farewell concert, performing as a solo artist and with Black Sabbath for the last time in the band’s hometown of Birmingham, UK. Billed as the “Back To The Beginning”...
www.stereogum.com
July 22, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Ozzy going out after raising $190 million for sick kids and a Parkinson’s cure is metal AF.
Reposted by Pete Etchells
And one final thought: Ozzy going out after giving an emotional final performance that raised a ton of money for charity is more spiritually uplifting and did more genuine good than anything any televangelist and religious grifter who railed against him ever did combined.
July 22, 2025 at 8:45 PM
And one final thought: Ozzy going out after giving an emotional final performance that raised a ton of money for charity is more spiritually uplifting and did more genuine good than anything any televangelist and religious grifter who railed against him ever did combined.
Reposted by Pete Etchells
do you ever stare at the ceiling and think about how the worldwide scientific establishment did the impossible and created a COVID vaccine in under a year and the response of the general public has been to go on an unstoppable rampage to destroy science and scientists
July 20, 2025 at 6:46 PM
do you ever stare at the ceiling and think about how the worldwide scientific establishment did the impossible and created a COVID vaccine in under a year and the response of the general public has been to go on an unstoppable rampage to destroy science and scientists
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-...
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-...
Episode 5: How do we ask better research questions about tech and mental health?
Listen now | It’s one of the biggest questions in digital parenting: Do digital technologies cause mental health problems in children and teenagers? The answer is complicated, and the desire to find a...
screensensepodcast.substack.com
July 11, 2025 at 10:14 AM
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-...
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-...
Reposted by Pete Etchells
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...
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...
⏰ More Than Robots #91 July 2025
fugit inreparabile tempus
Time flies like an arrow and yet also seems to go in circles. Here are some things to make the most of the time available.
www.morethanrobots.org.uk
July 9, 2025 at 7:30 AM
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...
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-...
screensensepodcast.substack.com/p/episode-4-...
Episode 4: Why do we find it so difficult to talk about tech effects?
We often have a very real sense that digital technology can do damage to our wellbeing, and sometimes in ways that feel seriously worrying.
screensensepodcast.substack.com
July 5, 2025 at 8:25 AM
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-...
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...
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/e...
Episode 3: The myth of the digital native
Podcast Episode · Screen Sense: Parenting in a Digital World · 27/06/2025 · 54m
podcasts.apple.com
July 3, 2025 at 3:45 PM
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...
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/e...
Reposted by Pete Etchells
It's 2025 and the fairy tales that brought us the money priming train wreck are apparently alive and well.
"Just seeing your phone—even face down—can lower test scores". 🤔
"Just seeing your phone—even face down—can lower test scores". 🤔
June 29, 2025 at 11:08 AM
It's 2025 and the fairy tales that brought us the money priming train wreck are apparently alive and well.
"Just seeing your phone—even face down—can lower test scores". 🤔
"Just seeing your phone—even face down—can lower test scores". 🤔
Reposted by Pete Etchells
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...
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0xU9...
Substack: open.substack.com/pub/screense...
Episode 3: The myth of the digital native
Podcast Episode · Screen Sense: Parenting in a Digital World · 06/27/2025 · 54m
podcasts.apple.com
June 27, 2025 at 12:28 PM
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...
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...
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0xU9...
Substack: open.substack.com/pub/screense...
Episode 3: The myth of the digital native
Podcast Episode · Screen Sense: Parenting in a Digital World · 06/27/2025 · 54m
podcasts.apple.com
June 27, 2025 at 12:28 PM
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...
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-...
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-...
Episode 2: How do we have better tech conversations with our kids?
Podcast Episode · Screen Sense: Parenting in a Digital World · 20/06/2025 · 45m
podcasts.apple.com
June 20, 2025 at 7:12 PM
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-...
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-...
Reposted by Pete Etchells
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!
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...
Episode 1: Why does (digital) parenting feel so hard?
Listen now | How should we think about parenting in a digital age?
open.substack.com
June 18, 2025 at 9:26 AM
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
Science Podcast · Updated weekly · A podcast for parents trying to make thoughtful, informed decisions about tech and childhood.
screensensepodcast.substack.com
podcasts.apple.com
June 16, 2025 at 9:06 PM
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...
Reposted by Pete Etchells
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...
Episode 1: Why does (digital) parenting feel so hard?
Listen now | How should we think about parenting in a digital age?
open.substack.com
June 13, 2025 at 8:30 AM
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...
Reposted by Pete Etchells
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...
Coroner's plea to find families of shamed surgeon Ian Paterson's patients
Elaine Morris, 45 from Solihull, is one of the five women whose next of kin have not been traced.
www.bbc.com
June 3, 2025 at 11:53 AM
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...
Episode 1: Why does (digital) parenting feel so hard?
Listen now | How should we think about parenting in a digital age?
open.substack.com
June 13, 2025 at 8:30 AM
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.
If you think the future of cognitive health is doing the same old stuff… scroll on. 💤
We’re building a lab in your pocket - powered by games, built with science - shoutout to our amazing partners @hugospiers.bsky.social, @antoinecoutrot.bsky.social + crew!
🧠🎮 GO ON PUT A LAB IN YOUR POCKET:
We’re building a lab in your pocket - powered by games, built with science - shoutout to our amazing partners @hugospiers.bsky.social, @antoinecoutrot.bsky.social + crew!
🧠🎮 GO ON PUT A LAB IN YOUR POCKET:
PUT A LAB IN YOUR POCKET — GLITCHERS - Games for Good
When we launched Sea Hero Quest , scientists had no idea what healthy navigation performance looked like. It was so important to understand, because it’s one of the first things to decline in Alzhei...
www.glitchers.com
June 9, 2025 at 2:38 PM
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.