Expert opinion: A blanket ban on social media for children isn't the solution.📱 Experts from Masaryk University and Palacký University, supported by 20+ researchers from the field, issued an expert opinion on proposed blanket bans on social media for children. Full statement: muni.cz/go/c2c882

Researchers from Masaryk University: A blanket ban on children's access to social media is not an effective solution

Researchers from the Interdisciplinary Research Team on Internet and Society (IRTIS) at Masaryk University’s Faculty of Social Studies (FSS MU), together with experts from the Institute for Research a...

muni.cz

Summer issue is now live ☀️ Enjoy the read of 12 articles on topics like online incivility, online victimization among minority youth, diversity in avatar self-representation digital piracy, and much more. 🔓 The full issue is free to read via #OpenAccess: cyberpsychology.eu/issue/view/2...

📊 New #EUKidsOnline V report released! As part of the Digiwell Research project, it maps the digital lives, risks, and online activities of Czech youth (aged 9–17). 🧠 Find out about findings on smartphone usage, daily habits, online risks, digital literacy, and digital future. muni.cz/go/74f80f

Report: Czech children and adolescents on the internet: Results of the EU Kids Online V survey

A new research report that presents the key findings of the EU Kids Online V (EUKO V) project in the Czech Republic has been published. The project examined the online activities of children and adole...

muni.cz

🎓 We have a new professor! On June 1, President Petr Pavel appointed new professors at the Carolinum. One of them is the head of IRTIS, Hana Macháčková, who focuses on online aggression, internet anonymity, and experimental research. We are very proud! Warmest congratulations ⭐

Join us in welcoming Kevin Koban @kevinkoban.bsky.social as our new Associate Editor!✨ Based at @univie.ac.at with @adme-uvienna.bsky.social, he focuses on beneficial and harmful engagements with interactive digital media, including social media, social machines, and video games. Welcome, Kevin!🤗

Our article with @ankegorzig.bsky.social and Raffaella M. Milani is now published and open access. 🩵 Using EUKO IV data, we examine internet use as a maladaptive or adaptive coping strategy for children with emotional problems. @eukidsonline.bsky.social @irtis.bsky.social doi.org/10.1111/sjop...

Digital tech meets science communication at Academia Film Olomouc #AFO61 🌐 Ainize Martínez Soto and Vojtěch Mýlek shared insights on immersive media and new methodologies under the theme of "Common Ground." Thank you for having us! 👀 Find out more at: irtis.muni.cz/news/finding...

I am very grateful to have received the Dean’s award last week. ❤️ Thanks mainly to my colleagues involved in the CYBERPLUS project. ➕ www.fss.muni.cz/aktuality/ce...

Are smartphones stressful for adolescents? 🤔 Using experience sampling and smartphone trace data, we found that for ~80% adolescents, screen time is neither stress‑inducing nor stress‑buffering. For ~20%, smartphone use is stress‑inducing, but usage patterns matter ⭐ doi.org/10.1177/1461...

Our colleague and IRTIS vice-head, Lenka Dedkova, has successfully completed her habilitation and has been appointed Associate Professor. In her work, she focuses on parenting practises in the digital era. Congratulations to Lenka on this great achievement! 🌻 irtis.muni.cz/news/lenka-d...

Lenka Dědková Appointed Associate Professor

Our colleague and IRTIS vice-head, Lenka Dědková, has successfully completed her habilitation and has been appointed Associate Professor. In her work, she focuses on the topic of parenting practises i...

irtis.muni.cz

🌷 Our spring issue is now live! It brings 8 new articles covering topics such as AI aversion, online sexual health knowledge, the complexities of online dating, videoconference fatigue, and more. 🔓 Full issue is #OpenAccess: cyberpsychology.eu/issue/view/2... Enjoy the read! ☀️

Visiting the University of Hradec Králové and presenting Digiwell and @irtis.bsky.social research to university and high school students. 🎓 uni.uhk.cz/ffreeindex/?...

📢 New Report: Why school phone bans aren't a universal fix 👀Analysis of 21 countries shows that bans don't directly improve grades. Impacts on cyberbullying, addiction, and mental health are inconclusive. 📱While distractions may drop, classroom disruptions increase Full report: muni.cz/go/b17c78

Report: A Ban on Mobile Phones in Schools Is Not a Universal Solution

Banning mobile phones in schools does not straightforwardly lead to better academic performance of students. An analysis of data from 21 countries, including the Czech Republic, conducted by the IRTIS...

muni.cz

New longitudinal study on screens & adolescents' sleep 💤📱 🔄 Screen time & later bedtimes can create a reinforcing loop. 🦉 Sleepier teens use screens more, but it may be linked to bio-rhythms or house rules. ⏰ Regular bedtimes might matter more than just screen limits. Read more: muni.cz/go/cc5f00

Is screen time associated with later bedtimes and daytime sleepiness in adolescents?

A recent report from HBSC Healthy Generation points to increasingly late bedtimes as a key reason why Czech adolescents are getting less sleep today, and why a growing number of them are falling short...

muni.cz

We are thrilled to welcome Douglas A. Parry as our new Associate Editor! Assistant Prof at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, he studies digital media's impact on attention, cognition & well-being using innovative methods (e.g., smartphone tracking, ML). Welcome aboard, Doug! 🎉 @dougaparry.bsky.social

📊 Generative artificial intelligence through the eyes of Czech children and adolescents. How do they use it and what are their concerns? New research report by IRTIS and @medjourmuni.bsky.social as part of EU Kids Online and DigiWell research. Read more here: muni.cz/go/685dba

Report: Generative artificial intelligence through the eyes of Czech children and adolescents

Czech children and adolescents use generative artificial intelligence (AI) most frequently for school-related tasks, particularly for writing essays or reports (42%), and for summarising or explaining...

irtis.muni.cz

🌱 The first issue of the year is out, launching Volume 20! It brings 10 articles on topics like adolescent mobile habits, cyberbullying bystanders, social norms in teens’ online interactions, trust & privacy in generative AI, and more. 🔓 #OpenAccess: cyberpsychology.eu/issue/view/2... Enjoy! ⭐

📣 New research report on sexting in Czechia: over one-third of adults and nearly half of 18–29 y/o exchange sexually explicit messages, photos, or videos. Sexting is a common part of digital relationships, but it also brings risks such as unsolicited content and sexual coercion. 👉 muni.cz/go/df3684

This week, I visited Prague and Charles University for a research seminar organised by the CoRe group. I presented “Researching children’s and adolescents’ experiences with cyberhate,” sharing also EU Kids Online insights supported by DigiWell. Thanks for the invitation and the engaging discussion!

📸 A look back at the Workshop on Aggression organized by IRTIS at the end of November with the support of the Digiwell Research. Thank you to all speakers and participants for the inspiring discussions in Brno 👥 👉 Day-by-day report on our website irtis.muni.cz/aktuality/cl...

It was a great honor to present our @irtis.bsky.social report Tech&Teens at the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic today! ✨

End of November is the time for Cyberspace conference in Brno. Keynote on sexting and digital intimacy was delivered by Joris Van Ouytsel from Hugh Downs School of Human Communication at ASU. Talks also by Ainize Martínez-Soto or Jaroslav Sýkora from IRTIS. 👀 See photos and read more on our website!

Our editors, Lenka Dědková and Joris Van Ouytsel, along with Brad Bushman (Editor of Psychology of Violence), participated in a lively Q&A session at the Workshop on Aggression 2025 in Brno. Thank you to all participants for the thoughtful questions.💡

We were delighted to welcome Cynthia Dekker from the @uva.nl, whose research examines how various forms of digital disconnection impact our experiences and well-being, for a discussion on (digital) well-being interventions 👇 organized by DigiWELL research 🔬

☃️ The final issue of the year is here! Vol. 19, No. 5 has just been published with 10 articles about influencer mental-health, sleep and smartphone use, algorithm vs. human decision-making, and many more. 🔓📖 The full issue is #OpenAccess here: cyberpsychology.eu/issue/view/2... Enjoy reading!🎀

📢 On 14 November 2025, Hana Macháčková, head of the IRTIS team, gave a public lecture on “Aggressive behavior online”. The lecture was part of the process for her appointment as professor. Many attendees joined in person, and international members of the committee participated online 🌐

🧠 In September 2025, our researchers took part in the MediaPsych Conference, this year organized by @unidue.bsky.social. They presented their research on topics such as cyberhate, digital parenting, anonymity in online communication, etc. #MediaPsych25 #MePsy25 📍 Read more on our website:

Blog: MediaPsych Conference 2025

MediaPsych Conference 2025: a venue for discussing the psychological and social dimensions of digital technologies.

irtis.muni.cz

Jak technologie zasahují do lidských životů? 📲 Jak se rodičům daří či nedaří s nimi fungovat a jak se s nimi vypořádat ve výchově? 👩🏻‍🤝‍👨🏼 👉🏻 Přečtěte si rozhovor s Lenkou Dědkovou pro magazín Forbes: forbes.cz/digitalni-pr...

Mezi rodiči a dětmi je digitální propast. Zákazy nepomáhají, říká Lenka Dědková

Výzkumnice Lenka Dědková se ptá, co vlastně rodiče vědí o online sociálním životě svých dospívajících dětí.

forbes.cz

We attended the @digisoc.bsky.social International Conference for an Inclusive Digital Society in Leuven.👏@robynvanherle.bsky.social (co-)presented 2 mHealth studies, 1 with @svestkova-ady.bsky.social, @irtis.bsky.social. @luca-carbone.bsky.social presented on meritocratic masculinities in music.

🎉 Gratulujeme Dr. Lence Dědkové k zařazení do žebříčku Top vědkyně Česka 2025 podle Forbesu! forbes.cz/lists/top-ve...

Lenka Dědková - Top vědkyně Česka 2025

Přečtěte si více - Top vědkyně Česka 2025. Jsme prestižní ekonomický magazín Forbes Česko. ➤ I jedna věta vám může změnit život!

forbes.cz