Douglas Parry

Douglas Parry is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Science at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, affiliated with the Media Psychology Group. He holds a PhD in Socio-Informatics from Stellenbosch University and previously served as a Senior Lecturer there. His research focuses on adolescents' digital media use, its cognitive and mental health impacts, and strategies for thriving in digital societies. He employs quantitative methods like longitudinal surveys, experiments, and computational techniques (NLP, machine learning), emphasizing open science through pre-registration and data sharing.

Parry teaches courses including Problematic Media Effects and Media Psychology for Impact. His ancillary roles include External Associate Researcher at the Weizenbaum Institute (Berlin) and External Research Associate at Stellenbosch University. His work spans 30+ articles in top journals like Nature Human Behaviour and JAMA Pediatrics, addressing topics such as media multitasking, API accessibility challenges, and systematic reviews on social media effects.

Key research themes include digital well-being, open science practices, and methodological rigor. His recent work critiques platform-controlled social media APIs and explores discrepancies between self-reported and logged media use. Collaborations span global institutions, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach to media psychology and computational communication science.