News

School Cellphone Bans: Annenberg Expert Reframes the Issue

SAFELab Director Desmond Patton provides insight into school cellphone bans and digital wellness for youth.

• Technology & Society

Journey to Joy

In a joint class within Annenberg and the School of Social Policy & Practice - "Journey to Joy: Designing a Happier Life" - PIK Professor Desmond Upton Patton invites students to dream big.

• Culture & Media

Professors Sarah Jackson and Desmond Patton Awarded NSF Grant To Create Cross-Institutional Program Supporting STEM Researchers From Underrepresented Backgrounds

A partnership between Penn, Northwestern University, and New York University aims to provide more opportunities for historically underrepresented researchers conducting critical technology research.

• Technology & Society

First-of-Its-Kind Study Analyzes Digital Mourning Practices of Gang-Affiliated Youth

A study led by Prof. Desmond Patton explores how gang-affiliated Black youth use Twitter content, photos, and emojis to memorialize the deceased and navigate feelings of grief and loss.

• Culture & Media
• Technology & Society

When Young People Seem to Make Threats on Social Media, Do They Mean It?

A new app from SAFELab helps teachers, police, and journalists interpret social media posts by BIPOC youth and understand which threats may be real.

• Technology & Society

Desmond Upton Patton Elected to the National Academy of Medicine

Patton is among 100 new Academy members elected this year, one of the highest honors in health and medicine.

• Health Communication

Social Scientists Must Address ChatGPT’s Ethical Challenges Before Using It for Research

A new paper by researchers at Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) and Penn’s Annenberg School for Communication...

• Culture & Media
• Technology & Society

Desmond Patton and the Science of Being Human

Patton discusses his research in social media and violence, finding an interdisciplinary career in social work, communication, data science, and psychiatry, and why his open-mindedness never stops.

• Culture & Media
• Technology & Society

Desmond Upton Patton Announced as New Obama Foundation United States Leader

Patton is among the first cohort of 100 emerging changemakers selected to participate in the Obama Foundation’s Leaders USA program.

Desmond Upton Patton Appointed to Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research Board of Directors

Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research ( PRIM&R) has announced the appointment of Brian and Randi Schwartz University Professor Desmond...

• Health Communication