Dr. Don Grant Ph.D., MA, MFA, DAC, SUDCC IV
Dr. Don Grant is an internationally recognized and award-winning media psychologist, author, published researcher, Doctoral Addictions Counselor, educator with specific expertise in technology impact on mental health, and the National Advisor of Healthy Device Management for Newport Healthcare. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA), served as the 2022 President of the APA Division 46 (The Society for Media Psychology & Technology), currently serves as a Division 46 Executive Board Member At Large, Chair of the APA (D46) “Device Management & Intelligence” committee, Co-Chair of the APA (D46) “Strategic Planning” committee, is an APA Advocacy Division Partner Liaison, APA Division Science Partner, and Treasurer of the California Psychological Association Division VI (Media Technology and Communication). Dr. Grant designs, presents, and facilitates “Healthy Device Management” and “Good Digital Citizenship” treatment strategy and educational training workshops for clinicians, practitioners, educators, parents, and academic communities. He is a globally respected and popular conference keynote speaker, webinar, podcast, onscreen broadcast interview guest, and print content contributor on device related behaviors, addiction, and media psychology. Some of his interview and publication contributions include: The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Time Magazine, Forbes, The Hill, The Hollywood Reporter, Business Insider, APA Monitor on Psychology, NewsNation, Wondermind, ABC News, CBS News, NBC networks, Fox News, CNN, The Daily Show, and a two-page People Magazine story about him and his work. His current research includes a large-scale study in partnership with the Newport Healthcare Center for Research and Innovation investigating his theories surrounding the potential impact of a caregiver’s device use behaviors on attachment bonds. He is also engaged in explorations of the identity construct effects of social media, para-social mediated relationships, and cyberaggression targeted towards adolescents, teens, young adults, families, and our culture/relationships-at-large. Other current projects include an international publisher commissioned “Healthy Device Management and Practices of Good Digital Citizenship” guidebook and companion treatment curriculum workbook designed specifically for clinicians, treatment programs, educators, and professionals, serving as Chapter Leader, Co-Editor, and contributing author in collaboration with a cohort of global experts on several chapters to be published in a special handbook by Springer Publishing (in partnership with Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development) a white paper for publication in the journal Addictive Behaviors (now available online and in press), as a chapter author on the beliefs, behaviors, influences, and impacts of device-centric engagement for two academic handbooks with specific focus on media psychology, our device-centric behaviors, and social media, serving on the Advisory Panel in collaboration with the APA and Google on behalf of a scientific summary regarding online video content for teens, and working with the “Youth Services Committee” of the National Association of Behavioral Healthcare on the development and launch of “Safe Connections,” their new national “Youth Services Cyberhealth” campaign.