Making our kids safer online, together

Like many parents, I have a lot of different titles and wear several hats. To my son (age 14) and daughter (age 12), I’m Dad. In my work as a clinical psychologist, I’m Dr. Kollins. And here in my new role at Aura, I’m Chief Medical Officer. 

But we’re friends here; you can just call me Dr. Scott. 

I joined Aura earlier this year because I’m passionate about better understanding and improving the impact that technology has on mental health, especially for the most impressionable young minds: our kids.

It might seem unusual to have a Chief Medical Officer working at an online safety company like Aura. But I think it makes sense. Kids today spend nearly 7.5 hours a day online, and a lot of their socialization takes place in digital spaces. Aura's focused on making those digital spaces safer and easier to manage, and I'll be on hand to help our research and development team make tools that benefit your whole family. 

But that's not all I'm doing. I'll also be here, in our DigitalParenthood.com community, talking about what really matters when it comes to keeping our kids safe online. No fear-mongering, no scary headlines backed up by vague details. Just real, science-backed insights about how our kids are developing—and the risks they might be encountering online—delivered from one parent to another. 

In a regular column about what keeps me, as a father of two tweens, up at night (and might be keeping you up), I'll share findings from research at Aura and other scientists, along with tips to help you and your kids navigate our digital world safely and effectively. 

Dr. Jessica Flannery, Aura’s Chief Parent and Director of Clinical Product Integration, will be joining me here in our community. Dr. Jessica is a licensed clinical psychologist with experience in digital health interventions and neurobiological development. She’s a great resource to help us all learn more about how we can use evidence-based tools and techniques to support our kids’ mental health and well-being. You’ll see Dr. Jessica popping up throughout the community to offer practical advice; she’ll also be publishing a regular column called “Office Hours with Dr. Jessica.”

Navigating digital parenthood can be tricky, confusing, and at times, overwhelming. Our kids have to navigate a digital world much earlier in life than we ever did. Together, we’re going to help them make the most of it in a happy and healthy way.  

Dr. Scott Kollins
Chief Medical Officer, Aura