Bridging the Gaps (2017 – ongoing)

Bridging the Gaps – Affective, cognitive, and social consequences of digital revolution for youth development and education

A four-year (2017-2021) research consortium funded by the Academy of Finland.

GAPS team with five leading interdisciplinary professors (developmental science, cognitive neuroscience, educational psychology, medicine) examine longitudinally digital revolution and its consequences for affective, cognitive, brain, and social development and education among adolescents in Finnish and global context. Moreover, in Finland we examine longitudinal fMRI, experience sampling by smartphones, biomarkers of cortisol and sleep, and social networks including social sensors. Finally, Finnish high school 2016 reform offers an excellent natural experiment to examine the role of digitalisation to 21st century skills development. The mission of our collaboration is to stimulate innovative, interdisciplinary and comparative research. The major objective is to promote the next generation of researchers and facilitate a better understanding and discourse with different stakeholders how to equip young people for mastering the challenges of growing up in a changing global context.