With more possibilities than ever for media and technology use anytime and anywhere, young people’s online and offline worlds are shaping one another in complex ways. This is especially true among children, adolescents, and teens on the autism spectrum, who may discover unique opportunities for socializing, communicating, and expressing themselves through digital media, as well as encounter specific threats to their safety and privacy. These challenges can be compounded by heightened risks of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and other co-occurring mental health conditions. This talk, based on Alper’s recent book, Kids Across the Spectrums: Growing Up Autistic in the Digital Age (MIT Press, 2023), focuses on the prospects of media and technology for positively and negatively impacting the mental well-being of autistic youth, with a particular emphasis on their identity, emotional, and social development, drawing on ethnographic research that centers their personal stories. Their experiences with digital media also highlight what Alper terms the “sociotechnical shaping of sociality,” or how the relationship between society and technology shapes and is shaped by neurotypical interpersonal expectations.
This seminar is co-organized with UW CREATE.
11:45am - 12:15pm: Food and community socializing.
12:15pm - 1:15: Presentation with Q&A. Available hybrid via Zoom.
1:15pm - 2:00pm: Student meeting with speaker, held in CSE2/Gates 371.
Dr. Meryl Alper is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies and Affiliate Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northeastern University. She researches the social, cultural, and health implications of communication technologies, with a focus on disability, digital media, and children and families’ technology use. Dr. Alper is the author of three books on the topic: Digital Youth with Disabilities (MIT Press, 2014), Giving Voice: Mobile Communication, Disability, and Inequality (MIT Press, 2017), and Kids Across the Spectrums: Growing Up Autistic in the Digital Age (MIT Press, 2023). In her research and teaching, Dr. Alper also draws on 20 years of professional experience in the children’s media industry as a researcher, strategist, and consultant with organizations such as Sesame Workshop, PBS KIDS, Nickelodeon, and Disney. Prior to joining the faculty at Northeastern, Dr. Alper earned a Ph.D. and M.A. from the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California. She also holds a B.S. in Communication Studies and History from Northwestern University, as well as a certificate in Early Childhood Education from UCLA.