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About us

Our Story

The CHEER Lab was started by a curious mom who cared about the impact media was having on her children. Years later, that curious mom Nancy Jennings, has taken initiative to find ways to ehance children’s media for more kids than just her own. the lab explores how children engage with digital content and how that engagement shapes learning, behavior, and emotional well-being. By combining innovative research with practical applications, the CHEER Lab aims to provide valuable insights for parents, educators, and researchers alike. Through accessible resources, collaborative projects, and ongoing studies, the lab works to bridge the gap between research and real-world impact, empowering families and communities to make informed decisions about children’s media use.

Our Mission

To educate families by translating children’s media research through meaningful collaboration that supports scholarship and community.

Vision & Mission

Our Vision

Our vision is to create a world where media is intentionally designed and used to support children’s emotional well-being, learning, and development, fostering healthier, more informed families and communities.

What we do...

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We develop projects and work with community members to provide support and exploration of topics relevant to children’s media experiences.

We engage in a variety of research methods from quantitative surveys, field experiments, and content analyses to qualitative interviews and observations to learn more about media and children’s lives.

Dr. Nancy Jennings teaches a variety of courses on children and media, primarily for undergraduate students. She regularly teaches COMM 4016: Children and Media.

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Meet Our Founder 
 Nancy A. Jennings

Director, CHEER Lab

University of Cincinnati 

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