The University of Bremen project is supported by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space as part of the Science Year 2026 – Medicine of the Future. Through the Science Years, the BMFTR highlights a specific topic in science communication. In 2026, the theme is Medicine of the Future, with a special focus on prevention, digitalization, participation, and precision. The University of Bremen, together with the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology – BIPS, is among the selected, funded projects with the project “Digital Health Talks – The Live Podcast on the Health of the Future.” Five events in various cities across Germany will address topics such as health communication in the digital space and the use of personal data in health research.
How Does Social Media Affect the Health of Children and Adolescents?
The series will kick off with an event in Bremen on May 30, 2026, as part of the Long Night of Museums. The event will take place at 6:00 p.m. in the Banking Hall of the Forum at Domshof building. Entitled "Likes, Limits, Laws – Should We Ban Social Media and Smartphones for Children?" (“Likes, Grenzen, Gesetze – Sollen wir Kindern Social Media und Smartphones verbieten?”), host Rasmus Cloes, press spokesperson at BIPS, will talk with Professor Louisa Kulke from the University of Bremen and Tobias Windbrake from the “Smarter Start” parent initiative about how social media use affects the health of children and adolescents and how and where cell phone bans and age limits might be appropriate.
"We've been producing a podcast on this topic for two years now," explains project lead Dr. Maren Emde. She coordinates research and knowledge transfer in the field of health sciences at the University of Bremen. "We're excited that this new event format will allow us to discuss highly relevant issues at the intersection of health and digitalization with a wide range of people."
"In Bremen, we are at the forefront of 'Digital Public Health' and have played a decisive role in shaping it. Since 2019, we have been conducting interdisciplinary research on this topic at the eponymous Leibniz ScienceCampus. The funding for the Science Year demonstrates not only our scientific expertise in this field, but also our strength in science communication,” emphasizes Professor Benjamin Schüz of the Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research at the University of Bremen. Professor Schüz serves as the project’s academic supervisor alongside Professor Hajo Zeeb from BIPS.
All events are free to attend in person and will be streamed online. They will be available for later listening via all podcast providers. During the interactive sessions, viewers can join the discussion in various ways. Further information and the full program are available on the following website: https://www.digital-public-health.de/dh-talks.htm.
Contact:
Maren Emde
EMail: Emdeprotect me ?!uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de
Science Year 2026 — Medicine of the Future
Health is one of the most important prerequisites for a good life. Science Year 2026 – Medicine of the Future focuses on how researchers are shaping tomorrow's medicine with their ideas and solutions today. How will diseases be diagnosed in the future? What ideas exist for medical care? Will AI revolutionize drug development? How can innovative technologies support care without losing sight of the human element? How can we improve prevention strategies so that we fall ill less frequently and with less severity? This Science Year has a special focus on gender-sensitive research because the data foundation for gender-specific treatment and care is lacking for many diseases. This is particularly true for diseases and health issues that affect women specifically, including endometriosis and menopause.
The Science Year is the largest nationwide platform for interdisciplinary communication on current research topics. Each year, 400 to 800 research institutes, universities, associations, organizations, companies, and foundations participate through up to 1,000 events and initiatives. These include a nationwide university competition, formats such as SchulKinoWochen, MINTmachtage, and the MS Wissenschaft, an exhibition ship that visits up to 30 cities in Germany from May to September. The Science Years have been held since 2000 and are an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) in collaboration with Wissenschaft im Dialog (WiD).
Throughout the year, the Science Year initiative offers events, projects, and activities that invite participants to gain insights into current medical research and engage in dialogue with scientists, businesspeople, members of the media, politicians, and other members of society. Social media formats, monthly challenges, and prominent ambassadors will also play an active role in the 2026 Science Year.
