BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN

ENTERTAINMENT & RESEARCH

TO HELP THE NEXT GENERATION THRIVE

Media has power. Content creators have an opportunity. Research can help.

Drawing of clap board for film

THE POWER OF STORIES

Stories move hearts and minds in a way that numbers alone can’t. We all know it inherently. And a growing body of research supports it.

THE IMPACT ON YOUTH

Good intentions are important, but often not sufficient. Research can help ground us in how to create content responsibly.

THE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH

The brain is more malleable during early childhood and adolescence than at any other time of our lives. And young people today report consuming more than 9 hours of media a day. 

Featured News

  • NEW Teens Speak Out Research Snapshot: Sex Education on TV

    CSS conducted a national survey to better understand how teens are turning to television for insights on sexual and reproductive health (SRH).

    Read Now

  • NEW RESEARCH: Gen Z, the American Dream, and Representation

    Our latest study reveals a generation grappling with what it means to achieve the American Dream and yearning for more socioeconomic diversity on screen

    Read More

  • 2024 Impact Report: Available Now

    Learn about all of the storytellers we worked with in 2024 to make a difference for kids, teens and young adult storytelling

    View Here

  • Join Our Youth Engagement Network!

    Are you an activist or caring adult who works with young people? Join our network to connect the youth you work with to opportunities at the Center for Scholars & Storytellers.

    Learn More

  • 2024 Youth Media Preferences Fantasy, Nostalgia, Movies, and More!

    We surveyed a diverse sample of 606 adolescents between the ages of 16-24 across the United States to find out what young people are watching and looking forward to in the media. These findings further confirmed the results of this year’s 2024 Teens and Screens report.

    Click Here

  • Young People Want to Feel Safe

    In CSS’s latest research snapshot, teens reported that their number one priority was not to be rich, famous, or even good looking, but to be safe.

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  • NEW 2024 Teens and Screens

    Upon launch, we’ve already received coverage in the New York Times, LA Times and more. Check out the full report!

    READ NOW

  • Teens React to New 2024 Teens and Screens Report Findings

    Check out what high schoolers are saying about our newest research report

    Read Now

Ways We Help

Clients We’ve Worked With

Working out of UCLA, the Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS) is a nonprofit helping connect the biggest names in Hollywood and creative professionals everywhere with evidence-based insights from psychology to positively impact kids, teens, and young adults.

We’re the only organization with the institutional affiliation, academic credibility, and entertainment expertise to meet youth and young adults where they are: on screens.

“Although insights that can guide responsible storytelling emerge regularly from the work of social scientists, they are often slow to make their way into the hands of the entertainment industry. That’s why, when I obtained my doctorate in psychology after almost two decades working in the movie industry, I created the Center for Scholars & Storytellers.”