Elizabeth Burgess Dowdell, PhD
Professor and Coordinator of Undergraduate Research | M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing
Elizabeth Dowdell, PhD, RN, FAAN, is an expert in the use of social media by adolescents and the health risks posed by online behaviors.
Media
Dr. Nancy RN "Sleep Texting"
Topic: Sleep Texting—The health consequences of a new phenomenon among young adults that contributes to sleep deprivation. Guest: Elizabeth Burgess Dowdell, Ph.D. RN, FAAN; Professor, Villanova University College of Nursing. Host: Nancy M. Valentine, Ph.D., RN. www.DrNancyRN.com email: drnancyrn@gmail.comAreas of Expertise (6)
- Cyberbullying
- Gun Violence
- Health Risk Behaviors in Children and Adolescents
- Internet Safety
- Sleep Texting
- Violence and Victimology
Biography
The use of social media across the globe is expanding exponentially as the number of social media outlets, applications, and access continue to increase. Along with this growth in connectivity come concerns about child Internet victimization as well as new phenomena associated with technology. Dr. Dowdell is an expert in the use of social media by teens and the health risks posed by their online behaviors. She can address how risky online behaviors endanger vulnerable children, how technology affects a child’s and family’s everyday life and the emergence of new technology-related behaviors like sleep texting.
Education (3)
- University of Pennsylvania: PhD
- Boston College: MS
- Vanderbilt University: BSN
Select Accomplishments (2)
Links
Affiliations (1)
- Consultant, U.S. Department of Justice, The Office of Juvenile Justice and Deinquency Prevention
Select Media Appearances (10)
Wisconsin Police Search for Answers in Rare Case of Female School Shooter
Reuters
12/18/2024
Males often have easier access to firearms, and many shooters model themselves after previous attackers, most of whom were men. Some sociologists also view mass shootings as "reflective of a pathology of toxic masculinity," Metzl said. And, of course, men are more likely to commit violent crimes in general, not just school shootings. But other factors common to school shootings - bullying, isolation, social media - are not specific to boys. Data also shows an increase in aggression and violence among adolescent girls in recent years, according to Elizabeth Dowdell, a professor of nursing at Villanova University who has studied school shootings.
The Supremacy of the Supreme Court
SiriusXM's The John Fugelsang Podcast
5/23/2024
In this episode - John interviews Dr. Elizabeth Dowdell, who is a professor in the Nursing department at Villanova University and an expert in child and adolescent mental health. They discuss her smartphone related Ted X talk entitled - "Interrupted Sleep: College Students Sleeping with Technology".
New Sleep Texting Research from Villanova University
Good Morning America
11/29/2018
A new study is making headlines saying sleep texting may be on the rise. Researchers at Villanova University found more than a quarter of the college students they talked to reported texting in their sleep. And most of them don’t remember doing it when they wake up in the morning. Some were even wearing mittens so they won’t text.
Villanova University Study Finds Students are Sleep Texting
CBS This Morning
11/29/2018
Well the Philadelphia Inquirer says sleep texting really happens. A study by Villanova University found that 25 percent of students who were surveyed, admitted that they texted while asleep. More than half of them have no memory of sleep texting. One-third said they answered the phone while sleeping
Sleep Texting is Real, and You May Be Doing It
The Philadelphia Inquirer
11/28/2018
The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription may be required to view – picked up by more than 20 outlets) People are known to walk, talk, and eat while sleeping. Now, there is sleep texting. A new study from Villanova University found that the habit of using smartphones to message friends while still asleep — and having no memory of doing it — is a growing technology trend among adolescents and young adults. The paper, "Interrupted sleep: College students sleeping with technology," was published in the Journal of American College Health.
Trauma-Responsive Schools Must Be the New Gold Standard in Education
Healthcetera
5/16/2018
American schools are no longer places where children, teachers and staff feel safe. According to a new report from the Center for American Progress, 57 percent of teenagers now fear a school shooting. The troubled youths who commit mass shootings typically have many “red flags” that fit a dangerous profile. In the wake of the Parkland, Florida tragedy, parents and school districts sought immediate deployment of security specialists and emergency response procedures. However, the most effective interventions to address school violence may be to better understand what children experience at home through trauma-informed care.
Put Down Your Phone: Study Shows Families Want More Interaction Free of Phones
NBC10 Philadelphia
11/14/2017
Dr. Elizabeth Dowdell, a professor of Pediatric Nursing at Villanova University and expert on children and smart devices, provided tips for parents on how to encourage more time together away from their phones and computers. "Don't be afraid," Dr. Dowdell said. "That Internet is very intimidating. But at the end of the day, that child is the priority."
Don't Recall Sending That Message? Maybe You're 'Sleep Texting'
CNN
2/22/2013
Dr. Elizabeth Dowdell, a professor of pediatric nursing at Villanova University's College of Nursing, heard the same thing as she was researching Internet risk behaviors and the victimization of children and adolescents.
Sleep Texting Is On The Rise, Experts Suggest
Huffington Post
2/14/2013
Earlier this week, a CBS affiliate in Philadelphia spoke with Dr. Elizabeth Dowdell, a professor of nursing at Villanova University, who believes that more and more teens may be texting in their sleep
Facebook Regret? California Law Lets Kids Erase Embarrassing Posts.
Christian Science Monitor
9/24/2014
While photos of teens that have been removed from sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Vine could appear again elsewhere, the very intention of removing it may be important, adds Elizabeth Dowdell, professor in the College of Nursing at Villanova University.
Select Academic Articles (6)
School Shooters: Patterns of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Bullying, and Social Media
Journal of Pediatric Health Care
2022
American Academy of Nursing on policy: Recommendations in response to mass shootings
Nursing Outlook
2018
Adolescent Suicide Cases: Toxicology Reports and Prescription Drugs
The Journal for Nurse Practitioners
2018
Online social networking patterns among adolescents, young adults, and sexual offenders
The American Journal of Nursing
2011
Use of the Internet by parents of middle school students: Internet rules, risky behaviors, and online concerns
Journal of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing
2011
Risky internet behaviors of middle-school students: communication with online strangers and offline contact
CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing.
2011
Contact Elizabeth Burgess Dowdell, PhD