Hi there!
I’m Jacqueline Nesi, a clinical psychologist and professor at Brown University. I study how technology and social media impact mental health (especially for teens), and how parents can help their kids navigate it.
A year and a half ago, I became a parent myself, and after 22 years of schooling, the real learning began. I started Techno Sapiens to share the latest research on psychology, technology, and parenting, plus what I'm learning along the way.
What is Techno Sapiens?
It’s a newsletter about parenting, but so much else, too. We cover everything from the latest research on psychology and technology, to strategies for improving mental health, to tips for living and parenting in the digital age, to that time a preschooler told me I smell like cashews (for the record, I do not)…We aim to be science-based but human. Informative but realistic. Rigorous, without taking ourselves too seriously.
If you’re the kind of person who believes research should be accessible, that parents deserve a space that’s evidence-based and judgment-free, and that, if forced to choose, fighting 100 duck-sized horses would be preferable to one horse-sized duck, you’re in the right place.
Techno Sapiens has also been recommended by many people whose work I admire, including Julie Jargon of the Wall Street Journal, Jessica Grose of the New York Times, and Emily Oster of ParentData. It was also a 2023 Substack Featured Publication, and selected as one of The Guardian’s top 33 Substack newsletters! And yet, my toddler still has no interest in reading it.
How does this work?
New posts go out every Monday, and bonus posts (Q&As, research roundups, and more) go out a couple times per month.
Free Subscribers get access to Monday posts.
Paid Subscribers get access to everything—all Monday posts, all bonus posts, plus my eternal gratitude. They also get discounted access to Tech Without Stress, my online tech parenting course (with Dr. Emily Weinstein) for parents of pre-teens and teens.
Paid subscriptions allow me to continue investing in and improving Techno Sapiens, to keep most content free to the public, and to reach more parents (and non-parents) with information that’s science-based, but human. If you value what we’re building here, I hope you’ll consider a paid subscription.
Note: if a paid subscription is not financially feasible for you but you’d still like to access bonus content, please email me at technosapiens.substack@gmail.com for a comp subscription.
Can I gift a subscription to someone else?
Of course! Techno Sapiens subscriptions make a great gift for all kinds of people in your life: the research-loving parent-to-be, the parent who can’t stop singing Miss Rachel songs, the parent whose teen just got a phone, the friend who majored in psychology and won’t stop talking about it, the co-worker who just quit Instagram and won’t stop talking about it…gift away!
Can I get a group subscription?
You can! Group subscriptions are available at a discount. A great option for schools, parenting groups, companies, academic departments, therapy practices, families, and any other group of interested sapiens.
Also, yes, 2 people count as a “group,” so subscribe together with your spouse for a discount. True love!
Anything else I should know?
This goes without saying, but any information or advice provided by Techno Sapiens does not constitute or serve as a substitute for professional psychological treatment, therapy, or other types of professional advice or intervention. If you have concerns about your child's wellbeing, please consult a physician or mental health professional.
The things I share here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the institutions that pay me or employ me. These institutions do not sponsor or endorse Techno Sapiens. The things I share also do not necessarily reflect the opinions of my coauthors, collaborators, or friends.
They do reflect the opinions of me and, sometimes, my children.
Thanks for visiting!
