COMMUNITY
Raising Resilient Children
A new speaker series featuring leading experts in child psychology, mental health, and wellness designed to support families as they navigate the new challenges and opportunities presented by our increasingly complex, digital world.
An Evening with Dr. Nicholas Kardaras
MONDAY, APRIL 14, 5:30–7 PM
We're all in uncharted territory when it comes to our Brave New World of living life online. Our devices are scientific marvels that can offer many benefits—but what's the dark side of our screen love affair? More importantly, how are our devices affecting our most valuable resource—our children?
In this presentation and conversation with one of the country's leading experts on screen time, Dr. Kardaras will look at the social, psychological, developmental, and neurological impact of smartphones, social media, and gaming and the effects on our kids. He'll also address the questions that most families are wrestling with: How much screen time is too much? At what age should I get my child a smartphone? What do I do if I think my child has developed a serious problem with either their screen overuse and/or their mental health?
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dr. Kardaras is an Ivy-League educated psychologist, a best-selling author and one of the country’s foremost experts on mental health, addiction and the clinical and social impacts of the digital age. He is the Founder and Chief Clinical Officer of Omega Recovery in Austin, Texas and a Clinical Professor at Stony Brook Medicine where he specializes in teaching the treatment of addiction and mental health. Dr. Kardaras is also the author of the best-selling Glow Kids which has now been translated into 15 languages, and the more recent Digital Madness: How Social Media is Driving our Mental Health Crisis. He's appeared on ABC’s 20/20, the Dr. Phil Show, Good Morning America, the CBS Evening News, CNN, FOX & Friends, NPR PBS, the BBC and featured on the A&E TV series Digital Addiction and the documentaries Screened Out and Doomscroll. Dr. Kardaras has also worked with both state legislators and members of Congress to help enact digital media legislation to protect children and teens from the adverse impacts of problematic screen usage.
Raising Resilient Children in the Digital Age: A Conversation with Dr. Aliza Pressman and Dr. Samantha Boardman
Moderated by Emily Tisch Sussman
MONDAY, AUGUST 5, 10:30 AM–12 PM
Raising Resilient Children in the Digital Age: A Conversation with Dr. Aliza Pressman and Dr. Samantha Boardman was the first in a new speaker series on parenting presented by Ross School on August 5, 2024. A discussion between experts Aliza Pressman, a developmental psychologist, and positive psychiatrist Samantha Boardman was moderated by Emily Tisch Sussman, host of the podcast She Pivots and Chair of Ross School’s Board of Trustees.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Dr. Aliza Pressman
Dr. Aliza Pressman is a developmental psychologist with nearly two decades of experience working with families and the health care providers who care for them. Aliza is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Division of Behavioral Health in the Department of Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital where she is co-founding director of The Mount Sinai Parenting Center. Aliza is the host of the award-winning podcast, Raising Good Humans and author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Five Principles of Parenting: Your Essential Guide to Raising Good Humans. She holds a BA from Dartmouth College, an MA in Risk, Resilience and Prevention from the Department of Human Development at Teacher’s College, and a PhD in developmental psychology from Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Aliza also holds a teaching certificate in mindfulness and meditation from The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California at Berkeley. Aliza is the mother of two teenagers.
Dr. Samantha Boardman
Dr. Samantha Boardman is a New York-based positive psychiatrist dedicated to addressing mental health issues and fostering overall well-being. While psychiatry has historically focused on the diagnosis of disease and the treatment of individuals with mental illness, Positive Psychiatry takes a more expansive approach, focusing on the promotion of well-being and the creation of health.
Samantha’s practice combines years of training in medical school and psychiatry with her studies in the field of positive psychology. Based on 15 years of experience, she helps clients find strength within stress and wellness within illness. She is passionate about cultivating vitality, boosting resilience, and transforming full days into more fulfilling days.
On her website Positive Prescription, Samantha shares practical and achievable strategies that are life-enhancing and resilience-building, plus her take on why they matter. No smiley faces. No rainbows. No unicorns. The content is never finger-wagging or guilt-inducing. As Samantha states, “The word “should” is not in my vocabulary.”
Emily Tisch Sussman
Emily Tisch Sussman is the creator and host of the award-winning podcast She Pivots, a Tony-nominated producer, a Marie Claire contributor, a democratic political strategist, and a mother of three (all of whom attend Ross Lower School). With a passion for amplifying women's voices, she shares the stories of those who have successfully pivoted in their personal and professional lives, sharing how they turned challenges into formative opportunities.
Emily created She Pivots after leaving her fast-paced job as the VP of Campaigns at the largest democratic think tank in Washington, D.C. Her pivot pushed her to confront her own idea of success without the career she thought she’d have forever. Emily is a seasoned host, having interviewed leaders and influential women including Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary Hillary Clinton, Priyanka Chopra, and Sophia Bush, among others. Emily currently serves as Chair of Ross School’s Board of Trustees.
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Questions? Please contact communications@ross.org.