Founding Chair, American Psychological Association Digital Harm Reduction Committee
Thekla Ross is a clinical psychologist, national leader in addiction medicine, author with Wiley, advisor to tech companies and NIH, and founding Chair of the APA Digital Harm Reduction Committee.
Technology should deepen our humanity, not diminish it. The healthiest future belongs to those who learn to protect their attention, lead with compassion, and choose connection over distraction.
- Dr. Thekla B Ross
Town & Country
A longing for shared reality may be one of the defining desires of this era. “We're all feeling that lack of connection and that lack of meaning,” says Dr. Ross, who notes emojis have no emotional depth and says texts are the equivalent of sugar rushes. “A voice call regulates our bodies. A real conversation is like a nourishing meal.”
View moreThekla B. Ross, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist, author, and nationally recognized leader in digital harm reduction at the intersection of behavioral health, technology, and human connection. She serves as Chair of the Digital Harm Reduction Committee and Board Member for the American Psychological Association’s Society for Media Psychology and Technology, helping shape standards in this emerging field. She is also co-author of It Won’t Love You Back: Creating Connection in a Tech-Addicted World, translating neuroscience and clinical insight into practical strategies for healthier…
Founding Chair