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

Media impact on youth

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

Importance of research

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 Research Snapshot: What Teens Value

    For a second year in a row, we asked asked 1500 young people from across the country between the ages of 10 and 24 to rate the importance of 14 priorities—ranging from “being kind to others” to “being famous.” Read now to find out what teens are prioritizing.

    Read Now

  • Partnering with Tech to Help Adolescents Thrive: Q&A with Yalda Uhls

    Our Founder and CEO Dr. Yalda T. Uhls recently spoke with UCLA about social media's impact on teen mental health, why bans often backfire, and how our partnership with YouTube is helping content creators better support adolescent well-being.

    Read Now

  • A Blueprint for High-Quality Teen Content

    CSS has partnered with YouTube on its new Teen Creator Guide. Working with YouTube’s Youth Advisory Committee and experts from organizations including the American Psychological Association and Unicef, CSS helped bring teen voice and research insights into a guide for storytellers around the world.

    Read Now

  • CSS 2025 Impact Report

    Read our 2025 Impact report and see how your support helped us advance our mission to help the next generation thrive.

    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.

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“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.”