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Dr. Dana Suskind

@drdanasuskind.bsky.social
241 followers 183 following 68 posts

Surgeon. Co-Director of University of Chicago's TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health. Mom. NYT bestselling author of 'Parent Nation' and 'Thirty Million Words'

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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Cool opportunity alert! 🚨 @johnlist.bsky.social and the Joint Initiative for Latin American Experimental Economics and Universidad Torcuato Di Tella are inviting submissions for a behavioral and experimental economics workshop in Buenos Aires, taking place Nov. 9-10 ☀️ 👉 lnkd.in/g7gZVfmY
lnkd.in
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Heading to #SXSWEDU 2026? I hope you’ll join Michael Levine and me for “Born to be Wired: 4 Rules for AI in Early Childhood” on Monday afternoon! We’ll explore AI's impact on brain architecture and how to protect the capacity for human connection 🧠 ➡️ schedule.sxswedu.com/events/PP114...
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
As a surgeon and researcher, I’m driven by one mission: children’s healthy development, in the short- and long-term. The current approach to immigration is deeply detrimental to both. I’m grateful to @thehill.com for letting me weigh in on this crucial topic. thehill.com/opinion/immi...
thehill.com
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Marnie Kaplan @marniekaplan.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Can’t wait to read this. I spend a lot of time thinking about how valuable human connection and hands on learning experiences are for all of us.
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Coming in July! “Human Raised: Nurturing Connection, Curiosity, and Lifelong Learning in the Age of AI” A troubling fear nags at me: that human connection—the one thing children need most—is at risk of becoming a rarity. My book, I hope, provides families a line of defense 💚
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
I call on policymakers across political parties — indeed, on all Americans — to stand together in opposition to tactics that rob children of their safety, their parents, their trusted caregivers, and their right to healthy development.
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
Immigration reform should not come at the expense of children’s wellbeing, parents’ and caregivers’ dignity or our nation’s moral compass.
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
This is especially true during the early years of a child’s life, the most rapid and critical period of human brain development.
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
Toxic stress alters children’s brain structure, leading to lifelong learning, memory, and attention problems. It also weakens children’s immune systems and increases their risk of developing chronic conditions like asthma and heart disease.
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
This is a mounting public health crisis. Adverse childhood events and toxic stress disrupt children’s brain development, and it is hard to think of a more traumatic or stressful event for a child than being separated from their family.
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
The crackdowns in Minneapolis, Chicago and across the U.S. are resulting in children being detained. Toddlers being separated from their families. Children left orphaned, in the case of Renee Good. Alex Pretti was, of course, someone’s child.
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
As a pediatric physician, as an early childhood researcher, and as a child development expert, I am compelled to state, in no uncertain terms: the current approach to immigration reform is deeply detrimental to children, in both the present and long-term. 🧵
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
“The risks of AI differ from its benefits—that is, these risks undermine children’s foundational development—and may prevent the benefits from being realized.” I was honored to help inform this Brookings Institute report and its concrete recommendations. www.brookings.edu/articles/a-n...
brookings.edu
A new direction for students in an AI world: Prosper, prepare, protect | Brookings
This report explores the potential risks generative AI poses to students and outlines what we can do now to minimize them.
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Becker Friedman Institute for Economics @beckerfriedman.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
Introducing SPEAK—a scalable, computer-adaptive tool to measure knowledge of early human development. By Gaudreau, Levine, @johnlist.bsky.social & @drdanasuskind.bsky.social, it identifies knowledge gaps to guide targeted interventions and improve child outcomes. ow.ly/fzOk50XbjrG
ow.ly
Introducing The SPEAK: A Scalable Computer- Adaptive Tool to Measure Knowledge of Early Human Development | Becker Friedman Institute
Research shows responsive caregiving enhances children’s brain development, with parental knowledge predicting positive behaviors and outcomes. However, knowledge varies widely across educational leve...
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OutThinkMedia @outthinkmedia.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
What do my kids need to know about AI? or Mattel, I have questions, is a good primer into understanding the emotional losses for potential uses of AI toys. Many thanks to @drdanasuskind.bsky.social for her expertise: outthinkmedia.com/2025/07/01/w...
outthinkmedia.com
What do my kids need to know about AI? or "Mattel, I have questions." - I watch YouTube so you don't have to.
What if I was that new mother, over a decade ago, desperately searching for answers about brain development and how to be a "good" mother? I would have been tempted by AI.
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OutThinkMedia @outthinkmedia.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
This didn't quite fit into the primer in our last post, but @drdanasuskind.bsky.social had included such a lovely introspection for parents on how #noPerfectParenting can be a good thing! outthinkmedia.com/2025/07/03/n...
outthinkmedia.com
No Perfect Parenting - I watch YouTube so you don't have to.
I want you--parents, caretakers, educators, nannies, babysitters, uncles, aunts, nuncles-- I want you to take some quiet moments to read or listen these special encouragements on parenting from truste...
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
Babies are born to bond with other humans. When they bond, instead, with human-like AI systems, we don’t yet know what that means for their brain development. But we do know caution is warranted. Thank you to the Brookings Institution for publishing our commentary www.brookings.edu/articles/pol...
brookings.edu
Policy guardrails needed as babies around the world begin to interact with AI | Brookings
Kathy Hisrh-Pasek and co-authors outline the potential risks that artificial intelligence poses to children's development.
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
The FTC studying the impact of AI chatbots on children’s mental health is good, overdue news. Just as we set guardrails for food and medicine that reach children, we need guidelines and transparency standards for AI companions before they flood the marketplace. www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ftc-...
wsj.com
Exclusive | FTC Prepares to Question AI Companies Over Impact on Children
The regulator is expected to send letters to makers of AI chatbots.
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 27/08/2025
Artificial Intelligence is not just technology. It’s an artificial biologic with tremendous population health implications—both promising and perilous. In today’s TIME magazine, I call for AI engineers to take a Hippocratic Oath promising, first, to do no harm. time.com/7312350/ai-e...
time.com
AI Engineers Need Their Own Hippocratic Oath
"We need a Hinton Oath: not to slow engineers down, but to guide them with the same moral clarity."
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 25/08/2025
'The teenage brain is still developing—particularly in regions of impulse control and risk assessment—making young people less equipped to judge the accuracy or safety of advice.' We simply can't allow children's brains to be testing grounds for unregulated AI. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Teens Are Using Chatbots as Therapists. That’s Alarming.
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 19/08/2025
Grateful to @familiesinschools.bsky.social for engaging me in this important dialogue around AI and early childhood. If we are to avoid the same mistakes we made with social media, we need robust research into AI’s effects on developing brains. Now. www.familiesinschools.org/2025/08/13/a...
familiesinschools.org
Paying Attention to Big Tech: AI & Early Childhood - Families In Schools
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
“Here is where AI’s agreeability – so crucial to its rapid adoption – becomes its Achille's heel. Its tendency to value short-term user satisfaction over truthfulness – to blow digital smoke up one’s skirt – can isolate users and reinforce confirmation bias.” www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | What My Daughter Told ChatGPT Before She Took Her Life
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
American families need more support to flourish. My colleagues from the Convergence Collaborative on Supports for Working Families and I urge Congress and the Administration to establish a National Commission on Children and Families for the 21st Century. Read our issue brief: lnkd.in/ghG3niVJ
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 11/08/2025
'AI policy should advance AI innovation by ensuring that its potential benefits are responsibly realized and widely shared.' Important guidance from a multidisciplinary group of AI policy experts, calling for an emphasis on scientific understanding over hype. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
Advancing science- and evidence-based AI policy
Policy must be informed by, but also facilitate the generation of, scientific evidence
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John A. List @johnlist.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
Few things can make a father prouder than his daughter changing the world....by teaching about field experiments at the World Youth Economic Forum!
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 06/08/2025
I decided to throw my hat into the ring for #SXSWEDU 2026, where I'm hoping to present concrete principles for responsible use of AI in early childhood. My panel is called BORN TO BE WIRED 😉 Do me a favor and vote for it in the #PanelPicker! participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sx...
participate.sxsw.com
PanelPicker | SXSW Conference & Festivals
PanelPicker® is the official SXSW user-generated session proposal platform. Enter ideas and vote to help shape Conference programming for SXSW and SXSW EDU.
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 04/08/2025
I’m glad to see @unicef.org updating its guidance on AI and children, especially the potential risks when AI offers companionship. When children’s attachment systems are activated by algorithms rather than caregivers, we’re in uncharted territory. www.unicef.org/innocenti/st...
unicef.org
The risky new world of tech's friendliest bots
AI companions and children
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
Your baby doesn’t need fancy toys or gadgets for healthy brain development. What they need most is lots and lots of your words and nurturing interaction. Grateful to The Bump for letting me weigh in here 🩷 www.thebump.com/a/newborn-toys
thebump.com
7 Best Newborn Toys, Tested by babies in 2025
Shopping for baby's first toy? Check out our favorite newborn toys, tested by babies aged between 4 and 10 weeks and rated by their parents.
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 28/07/2025
“We have never established that good child care belongs among the pantheon of American values.” So true! The first 5 years are the most rapid period of brain development and the foundation for, well, everything. Great interview here with @ehaspel.bsky.social. hechingerreport.org/why-american...
hechingerreport.org
New book argues child care is a ‘societal imperative’
In ‘Raising a Nation,’ researcher Elliot Haspel says everyone should want strong supports for early childhood, even those without children.
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blueridgegurl.bsky.social @blueridgegurl.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
All my faves in @swartzmark16.bsky.social's interview w #ChelseaClinton on the 10th anniversary of @toosmalltoofail.bsky.social. #JoanLombardi @drdanasuskind.bsky.social tinyurl.com/32r5hykj
tinyurl.com
Chelsea Clinton: Supporting Families Where They Are Matters for Early Childhood
Chelsea Clinton reflects on impact, lessons learned and what lies ahead for Too Small to Fail, an initiative supporting families with early learning.
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
I’m grateful to @axios.com for tackling this topic and allowing me to weigh in. We need to be extremely intentional about the tech we introduce to young children, whose brains are at risk of being wired away from the relationships so central to our humanity. www.axios.com/2025/07/21/a...
axios.com
Chatting with bots could rewire the youngest brains
As chatbots enter children's lives, pediatricians warn that the interactions could alter their development.
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Reposted by Dr. Dana Suskind
OutThinkMedia @outthinkmedia.bsky.social · 21/07/2025
Best quote for parents struggling with an AI powered toy:
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OutThinkMedia @outthinkmedia.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
What do my kids need to know about AI? or "Mattel, I have questions." What if I was that new mother, over a decade ago, desperately searching for answers as to how to be a "good" mother? I would have been tempted. Hear from Dr. Dana Suskind, leading child development expert at the Univ. of Chicago
outthinkmedia.com
What do my kids need to know about AI? or “Mattel, I have questions.”
What if I was that new mother, over a decade ago, desperately searching for answers as to how to be a "good" mother? I would have been tempted.
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 17/07/2025
"The question isn’t whether to embrace innovation, but how to ensure these tools enhance rather than replace the irreplaceable bonds and experiences that build brains.” Thank you to @outthinkmedia.bsky.social for this conversation on AI and early childhood. outthinkmedia.com/2025/07/01/w...
outthinkmedia.com
What do my kids need to know about AI? or "Mattel, I have questions."
What if I was that new mother, over a decade ago, desperately searching for answers about brain development and how to be a "good" mother? I would have been tempted by AI.
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Reposted by Dr. Dana Suskind
Data & Society @datasociety.bsky.social · 16/07/2025
AI is already impacting children’s developing brains in profound ways, and kids’ wellbeing is not at the center of tech industry innovation, @drdanasuskind.bsky.social writes‬. “Every time we replace a human with AI, we risk rewiring how a child relates to the world.” thehill.com/opinion/tech...
thehill.com
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
I’m grateful to The Hill for publishing my oped calling for more information on AI’s impact on early brain development. Tech can be a powerful force for good—as a cochlear implant surgeon, I rely on it to help children hear! But we must apply it with intention...especially in early childhood.
thehill.com
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
So what does this all mean? Kids don’t just trust robots — they form social bonds with them. As tech companies design robots for education, therapy, and home use, they’re not just building tools — they’re shaping kids’ companions ... and future generations’ brains 🧠
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
Robots weren’t just trusted for knowledge. Kids wanted them as friends, teachers, even secret-keepers. Trust in robots was strongest in younger kids, but even older ones showed bias toward robots.
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
And when the robot made mistakes, kids still liked it more than the human. They believed the robot didn’t mean to mess up. They said humans make mistakes “on purpose,” but robots don’t...
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
Children ages 3–6 watched a robot and a human label familiar and unfamiliar objects. When a robot and a human both give the right answer, kids STILL prefer to ask the robot questions...
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
What happens when a robot is wrong? A recent study reveals that young children trust robots — even when they mess up. Some fascinating findings ... www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
When is it right for a robot to be wrong? Children trust a robot over a human in a selective trust task
Little is known about how children perceive, trust and learn from social robots compared to humans. The goal of this study was to compare a robot and …
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
It pays off in the form of more educational attainment, higher wages, lower crime, fewer illnesses. More states would be wise to follow in the footsteps of Montana, New Mexico, and others who are adopting bold policies to increase access to high-quality child care. The benefits couldn't be clearer.
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
This is a huge win for Montana’s children, families and business. It’s also a win for advocates who are fighting for more universal access to high-quality child care in other states. Investing in early childhood is one of the smartest, soundest investments a state can make...
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
New research shows kids as young as 5 modifying their behavior based on what robots "think" about them As AI enters classrooms & homes, we're seeing early evidence of kids forming real social bonds with machines — for better or worse Full study here ⬇️ srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
<em>Child Development</em> | SRCD Journal | Wiley Online Library
Since robots are becoming involved in children's lives, it is urgent to determine how children perceive robots. The present study assessed whether Japanese 5-year-olds care about their reputation whe...
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 04/06/2025
Today’s priorities and policy choices will affect us for decades to come. Because today’s young children are society’s future. I hope policymakers — and the people they listen to — understand just how much is at stake as they negotiate this historic bill.
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 04/06/2025
On the other hand, if those developing brains are exposed to toxic stress, it’s when disparities take root and grow exponentially. And make no mistake. Food insecurity is toxic stress.
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 04/06/2025
This would be catastrophic for young children’s development. Early childhood, when close to 90 percent of all brain development occurs, lays the foundation for a lifetime of academic, social, and emotional success.
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 04/06/2025
This bill proposes the largest cuts to nutrition programs like Medicaid and SNAP in history. More than 2 million children live in households that would lose at least some SNAP benefits. SNAP could end in some states entirely.
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 04/06/2025
Right now the U.S. Senate is negotiating the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which already passed the House. This Bill focuses on a variety of programs, but I want to talk about one part that intersects with the work I do as a researcher, a social scientist, and a pediatric surgeon.
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Dr. Dana Suskind @drdanasuskind.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
I hope policymakers will consider all the promise and progress that could be lost if we stop providing this vital service, which truly has transformative impact on children’s lives and futures — meaning it has transformative impact on all of our lives and futures.
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