HELLO! After 30 fabulous years doing research on kids and media, I'm retiring. I've had so many incredible opportunities to conduct research that was deeply meaningful to me - thank you to everyone who helped make that happen. I’m maintaining this website for those who wish to access my previous reports. Now off to the beach with the grandkids!  – Vicky Rideout, April, 2022

About Us

VJR Consulting specialized in conducting high-quality research on youth, families, and media. New York Times said the firm "has done pioneering research into patterns of technology use."  Ms. Rideout’s research has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, Pediatrics, and Media and Communication.  She is a former political aide whose career has run the gamut from working with Barack Obama on his historic speech to the 2004 Democratic Convention, to winning an Emmy Award with MTV for most effective public service campaign during her tenure at the Kaiser Family Foundation. 

Recent Projects

In The News

  • Read the New York Times article about our study documenting changes in screen use among 8-to 18-year-olds from pre-pandemic to fall 2021. Read Article >

  • Watch the Today Show's fantastic interviews with young people on the findings of our survey about how teens and young adults are using social media and other digital health tools to promote their own mental well-being. Watch Video >

  • Read Vicky Rideout's comments in this NPR story about the leak of internal research from Facebook and Instagram about the impact of social media on teen girls. Read Comments >


Featured Work


In The News

Study Finds Social Media, Screen Time by Teens and Tweens Increased in Pandemic

Listen to Vicky Rideout on public radio’s Forum talk show, about how young people’s use of screen media has evolved during COVID.

carreteando_17-Cropped_rev.jpg

For better or worse: how does social media affect young adults’ well-being?

October 26, 2018

Read Vicky Rideout’s latest blog post on the London School of Economics’ site Parenting for a Digital Future. A recent survey of US teens and young adults on social media and mental health found that while 15% found social media made them feel worse when they were depressed, stressed or anxious, 27% said it made them feel better. Here Vicky Rideout presents the main findings from the survey which was sponsored by two organisations working to promote adolescent mental health, Hopelab and Well Being Trust.

lead_720_405_rev4.jpg

Teens and Smart Phones

August 22, 2018

Read Vicky Rideout's comments about teens and smart phones in the August 2018 issue of the Atlantic.