Short bio

Erin Walsh is a parent, speaker, author and co-founder of Spark & Stitch Institute. She has worked with communities across the country who want to better understand child and adolescent development and cut through conflicting information about kids and technology. Her work has been featured in the Washington Post, the Star Tribune, Parents.com, and Yahoo News. She co-authored the Tenth Anniversary Edition of the national bestseller Why Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen. Her latest book, It’s Their World: Teens, Screens, and the Science of Adolescence (Free Spirit Publishing), will be released in May 2025. She has consulted with schools, school districts, parent groups and other youth serving organizations throughout the United States and Canada on issues related to digital media, parenting, and social emotional development. You can follow her work at sparkandstitchinstitute.com.

Shorter bio

Erin Walsh is a parent, speaker, author, and co-founder of Spark & Stitch Institute. She helps families and educators navigate adolescence, parenting, and technology. She co-authored the Tenth Anniversary Edition of Why Do They Act That Way? and her latest book, It’s Their World: Teens, Screens, and the Science of Adolescence, will be released in May 2025. Erin has worked nationally with schools, communities, and organizations to translate research into practical strategies. Her insights have been featured in the Washington Post, Parents.com, and more. Learn more at sparkandstitchinstitute.com.

Shortest bio

Erin Walsh is a parent, speaker, and author who helps families and educators navigate the complexities of adolescence, parenting, and technology. As co-founder of Spark & Stitch Institute, she translates research into practical strategies and is the author of It’s Their World: Teens, Screens, and the Science of Adolescence (May 2025).

“It’s Their World is a thoughtful, thorough, and above all actionable resource for any parent striving to understand what research says about teens and tech. Erin Walsh is deeply dedicated to helping parents support their kids. She is a steady, reassuring guide through the big issues of adolescence in a digital world. Parents who want to choose connection over conflict will find pages and pages of ideas to try today.”—Dr. Emily Weinstein, researcher and co-founder, Center for Digital Thriving at the Harvard Graduate School of Education; and coauthor of Behind Their Screens: What Teens Are Facing (And Adults Are Missing)

“Erin Walsh joyfully explains the science behind how social technologies impact children and families, intermixing accessible expert perspectives with down-to-earth guidance, thought exercises, and activities to try with your own kiddos. Throughout the book, Walsh is keenly aware that a one-size-fits-all and purely protectionist approach is not always the most helpful. A true highlight in this work is how much youth voice and storytelling are honored and embraced—a key ingredient in unlocking the puzzle of parenting an adolescent in the ever-present digital developmental discovery hub.”—Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., senior research scientist at the Wellesley Centers for Women, founder and director of the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab at Wellesley College, co-author of the 2023/2024 American Psychological Association’s health advisory on social media use in adolescence

“In It’s Their World, Erin Walsh offers an empathetic, research-based exploration of adolescence in our tech-saturated era. Combining the latest science with practical wisdom, this book is an invaluable resource for parents who want to help their teens navigate the complexities of a technology-mediated life. Walsh reframes technology from a source of alarm to a powerful opportunity for growth—when guided by understanding and connection.”—Katie Davis, author of Technology’s Child: Digital Media’s Role in the Ages and Stages of Growing Up, professor of digital youth and co-founder and co-director of the Digital Youth Lab, University of Washington

“Amazing! This is an essential guide for every parent navigating the minefield of today’s digital world—practical, insightful, and packed with really concrete strategies and language to help you tackle it alongside your kids. It also illuminates how young people’s developing brains shape their choices, offering wonderful insight to create a smoother path to healthy screen habits for both parent and child.”—Danielle Feinberg, visual effects supervisor at Pixar Animation Studios, including for Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red; advocate for girls in STEM;  artist; and mom of twins

“The title of this wonderful new book exploring the vast, complex world of media (specifically social media) in the lives of teens—It’s Their World—says it all. Teens and those of us who care deeply about their well-being will come to understand the influence of media through a developmental lens. Erin Walsh combines compelling scientific knowledge, her own wisdom and experience as a parent, and her years of work in the field of media advocacy and education to offer us this scholarly yet easy-to-read book. I appreciate the positive tone (teens aren’t always easy!), the incorporation of the words of teens themselves, and especially the insightful interweaving of science and common sense. Erin Walsh’s winning approach to guiding teens (and adults) to use and enjoy media wisely and intentionally will serve us well.”—Dr. Marjorie Hogan, MD, FAAP, and former member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and Media

“It’s Their World is a gift to parents and teachers, simultaneously an optimistic confidence-builder for the adults in the lives of adolescents and a constant reminder that it is their world. This is an evidence-based guide to being present for teens (and for soon-to-be teens) rather than restricting them so they always have us as a lighthouse, encouraging their curiosity and imagination as they build the world they want to live in.”—Michael Rich, MD, MPH, author of The Mediatrician’s Guide: A Joyful Approach to Raising Healthy, Smart, Kind Kids in a Screen-Saturated World, director of Digital Wellness Lab and Clinic for Interactive Media and Internet Disorders, Boston Children’s Hospital, associate professor of pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, and associate professor of social and behavioral health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health