Supporting children and young people to thrive in the digital world - and to safeguard their health and wellbeing in meaningful, effective ways - is both a fundamental right and a complex societal challenge. Over the past decade, the growing ownership and accessibility of digital technologies, including smartphones, social media, and wearable devices, have profoundly reshaped how young people learn about health, experience mental health, and engage in physical activity. Consequently, a central focus of Victoria’s research has been to identify how best to foster healthy digital engagement and support young people as they navigate adolescence and transition into an increasingly technology‑rich world. Her work has also examined how digital environments create new opportunities to engage teachers, parents, and professionals, enhancing their learning and informing their practices. In this talk, Victoria will present research undertaken in collaboration with young people, schools, interdisciplinary teams, professionals and practitioners, and national organisations, as well as work that has been shared with - and has informed - government and media audiences.
Professor Victoria Goodyear is an internationally recognised expert in school-based and youth-focused research examining how digital technologies and policies shape children’s and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, physical activity, and learning. Her research has secured significant competitive funding from research councils, charities, trusts, and industry. She currently leads a major National Institute for Health and Social Care Research (NIHR) national mixed-methods study evaluating the impact of school mobile phone policies on adolescent mental health and wellbeing. She is also Training Director of the ESRC-funded Centre for National Training and Research Excellence in Understanding Behaviour (Centre-UB). Her work is published in high-ranking journals, and she has received several international awards for her research on youth digital wellbeing. Professor Goodyear regularly advises the government on areas related to Screens and Online Harms, Mental Health, and Physical Activity, and she has worked extensively with national broadcast media.
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Professor of Physical Activity, Health and Wellbeing
School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences
Professor Victoria Goodyear's main research area focuses on social media/digital technologies and young people's health and wellbeing
