NEWS & MEDIA
5 July, 2026. In July 1-4, BootStRaP members organised the symposium “Problematic Internet Use in Europe: From Epidemiology to Prevention and Treatment” at the IACAPAP World Congress in Hamburg. The symposium was chaired by Prof. Dr. [...]
30 June, 2026. Representatives of the BootStRaP participated in the 37th World Congress of Neuropsychopharmacology (CINP 2026), held in Glasgow from 26–29 June 2026. As part of a joint symposium, Prof. Dr. Matthias Brand (University of [...]
27 June, 2026. The Swiss BootStRaP team recently organised its first Mini Bootcamp, bringing together eight students from Stammheim, KZU Bülach and Wohlen. Held on 13 June 2026, the event focused on exploring young people's perspectives on [...]
On June 9, 2026, the ALBATROS International Congress of Addictology officially commenced in Paris, France. As one of the world's leading scientific events dedicated to addiction research and clinical practice, this year's congress places a significant [...]
5 June, 2026. The BootStRaP project was highlighted at the Council of Europe’s thematic dialogue on social media and youth mental health, bringing together policymakers from 46 European countries, representatives of the European Commission, WHO Europe, [...]
3 June, 2026. In Vienna, at the seminar “Digital Environments: Risks, Harms and Opportunities for Children and Youth”, organised by the Pompidou Group of the Council of Europe, Dr Julius Burkauskas, researcher at the Lithuanian University [...]
May 29, 2026. The BootStRaP study was recently featured on BBC One’s “The One Show”, highlighting our ongoing work on problematic internet use among young people and the importance of evidence-based approaches to digital wellbeing. The [...]
26 May, 2026. Dissemination and Impact in Practice – Mental Health Dialogues #7 This webinar explored how research-based findings can move beyond academic circles to create real-world impact in stakeholder, industry and policy settings. As mental health [...]
May 15–17 2026, a BootStRaP project BootCAMP for young people took place in Lithuania – an international gathering bringing together young participants aged 12–16 from 9 countries. Together with researchers, they worked to better understand problematic [...]
15 May, 2026. How can we help young people regulate their emotions in the digital age? In this interview with a Dutch science media outlet, Pim Widdershoven, researcher at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, shares his perspective based [...]
14 May, 2026. We held the BootStRaP project conference at the Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas), bringing together leading international researchers on problematic use of the internet, and young people, alongside policymakers and decision-makers. The conference focused on [...]
6 May, 2026. To mark European Mental Health Week 2026, the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) published an official overview of landmark EU-funded projects. Among the most significant initiatives under the Horizon Europe programme, [...]
5 May, 2026. A significant scientific achievement: Prof. Dr. Matthias Brand, who leads the Assessment and Psychological Mechanisms work package in our BootStRaP research project, has published a new and important study that contributes to the [...]
20 April, 2026. In May 2026, Lithuania will host two important BootStRaP project events, bringing together an international community of researchers, young people and decision‑makers – a high‑level international conference at the Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas) and [...]
10 March, 2026. How can children and young people be better protected on the Internet? This question is addressed by a new expert group of the European Commission. Prof. Dr. Matthias Brand from the University of [...]
26 February, 2026. Mental Health Dialogues Webinar: Reaching Vulnerable Groups, https://www.internetandme.eu/2026/02/26/mental-health-dialogues-webinar-reaching-vulnerable-groups/ Our sister project ADVANCE is delighted to co-host the 6th Mental Health Dialogues webinar together with ASPBelong and BootStRaP. 24 February 2026 (Tuesday) 11:00–12:30 CET [...]
11 February, 2026. The Swiss news portal Nau.ch recently published an in-depth interview with Prof. Dr. Susanne Walitza, one of the leading Swiss investigators for the Europe-wide, EU-funded BootStRaP study. This international research project investigates Problematic [...]
20 January, 2026. Press Release. After school, fourteen‑year‑old Sofia comes home feeling that her head is “too full”. Her phone becomes the quickest way to unwind: short videos, messages, and games offer a temporary escape from [...]
31 December, 2026. *Being Online: Visual expressions of youth experiences of digital well-being. BootStRaP highlights the opportunity from The Lancet: a global art competition for young people to share what being online means to them and [...]
11 December, 2026. We are honored to share that Professor Anja Huizink, a distinguished scholar in developmental psychopathology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, participated in the Nobel Week Dialogue in Gothenburg, Sweden, on December 9, 2025. During [...]
On 28 November, students and teachers from seven BootStRaP schools visited the University of Hertfordshire for a joint Teacher and Student Ambassador workshop. Eight teachers, 19 students, and nine researchers spent the day exploring the BootStRaP [...]
26 November, 2025. Recent lectures in Asia have brought global attention to the growing challenge of problematic internet use and the importance of evidence-based solutions. Professor Hans-Jürgen Rumpf spoke at the University of Hong Kong and [...]
25 October 25, 2025. The BootStRaP team participated in the World Association for Stress-Related and Anxiety Disorders (WASAD) conference with a symposium titled: “Boosting societal adaptation and mental health in a rapidly digitalizing, post-pandemic Europe.” The [...]
7 October, 2025. Today’s webinar, “Breaking Barriers: Tackling Mental Health Stigma Through E-Inclusion,” brought together projects committed to advancing mental health and inclusion. The event was hosted by the Reconnected Project in collaboration with sister initiatives: [...]
6 October, 2025. At the 25th World Congress of Psychiatry, organized by the World Psychiatric Association, we attended an insightful symposium titled “Problematic Usage of the Internet: A Comprehensive Response.” The session brought together leading international [...]
13 August, 2025. The BootStRaP project members Naomi Fineberg, Jeremy Solly, Murat Yucel, and Matthias Brand met the Research Unit FOR2974 „Affective and cognitive mechanisms of specific Internet use disorders“ (funded by the German Research Foundation; [...]
23 July, 2026. Press Release. The first phase of the international research project BootStRaP has been completed in Lithuania, involving around 400 adolescents from six schools. This is the first study of its kind in Lithuania, [...]
10 July 2025. The BootStRaP project was presented at the 10th International Conference on Behavioral Addictions (ICBA), held on July 7–9, 2025, in Nantes, France. This annual conference, organized by the International Society for the Study [...]
7 July 2025. Paris, July 3–5, 2025 — BootStRaP experts joined leading international researchers and clinicians at a high-level workshop organized by the Pompidou Group of the Council of Europe. The event focused on developing strategic [...]
30 June 2025. The UK BootStRaP team were delighted to host BootStRaP consortium members and other international collaborators at the Tewinbury Farm Hotel in Hertfordshire, UK, on 26-27 June 2025 for a Global Engagement in Problematic [...]
25 June 2025. The BootStRaP project was featured at the Royal College of Psychiatrists International Congress, held at ICC Wales, UK. The symposium “Learning to deal with problematic usage of the Internet” was chaired by Prof. [...]
2025-06-13. A mini BootCAMP was held with Portuguese school ambassadors at the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto. The event featured a presentation for the students led by Carolina Cordeiro, with Prof. Célia [...]
12 June 2025. This week at the prestigious 19th ALBATROS Congress on 9-10-11 June, on Addiction Medicine in Paris, two leading scientists from the BootStRaP project — Professor Ornella Corazza and Professor Matthias Brand—presented their latest research [...]
15 May 2025. Prof. Susanne Walitza Presented BootStRaP Project at Prestigious Swiss Forum on Mood and Anxiety Disorders We are proud to share that our esteemed project member, Prof. Dr. med. Dipl.-Psych. Susanne Walitza delivered a [...]
8 May 2025. Prof. Naomi A. Fineberg had the honour of presenting the BootStRaP Project at the 13th Annual National Congress of the Hellenic Association of Clinical Psychopharmacology (HACPP) in Greece. Her message was clear: In the [...]
28 March 2025. Life sciences encompass the study of living systems: everything from cells & microorganisms to plants, animals, humans, and entire ecosystems. They help us tackle the world’s biggest challenges, from curing diseases to ensuring [...]
17 March 2025. Our BootStRaP project was presented on BBC One, with a video featuring Prof. Dr. Naomi A. Fineberg and Natalie Hall, along with The Head Teachers, Students and a Parent Teacher from Dame Alice [...]
24 February 2025. During the third “Mental Health Dialogues” webinar, experts and researchers discussed the importance of including vulnerable groups in research, highlighting challenges and solutions in engaging young people and individuals with lived experience in [...]
7 February 2025. Meeting summary. Lancet Psychiatry Commission Roundtable with Mr Josh MacAlister MP 1. Welcome and introductions. Present: Mr Josh MacAlister MP. Naomi Fineberg (Roundtable Chair), University of Hertfordshire. Chair, Lancet Psychiatry Commission Global Action [...]
29 January 2025. Seven EU Horizon Europe projects join in ‘Mental Health in Times of Change’, inviting to a new „Mental Health Dialogues” webinar #3. Mental Health for all: how to reach vulnerable groups in research. [...]
9 January 2025. Naomi A. Fineberg, a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Hertfordshire and the lead investigator of the BootStRaP Project, recently shared her expertise during a BBC 5 Live interview. Addressing one of [...]
3 January 2025. The digital age has brought incredible benefits, but it has also introduced complex challenges to mental health and well-being. In his thought-provoking editorial, "Taming the Chimaera–Hydra: Disconnecting from the Net to Fortify Our [...]
23 December 2024. We are delighted to celebrate the start of recruitment in Lithuania and the Netherlands, with 7 other countries soon to follow! Throughout this first round of recruitment, we hope to work with [...]
15 November 2024. The BootStRaP project Bootcamp, held from November 7-10 in Porto, Portugal, successfully gathered student and teacher ambassadors and researchers for two full days of dynamic learning and co-creation. New emotional regulation and [...]
27 October 2024. Professor David Wellsted from the University of Hertfordshire shared on BBC Three Counties Radio about "Switch off, Play On Café," its mission to encourage healthier digital habits, and its connection to the broader [...]
26 September 2024. We are happy to announce that our BootStRaP project member Prof. Hans-Jürgen Rumpf from Universität zu Lübeck is a panellist at ’Mental Health Dialogues’, a webinar series, jointly organized by 7 huge EU [...]
23 September 2024. Last week, on September 19, 2024, two leading representatives of the BootStRaP project, Professor Ornella Corazza (University of Hertfordshire, University of Trento) and Dr. Julius Burkauskas (Lithuanian University of Health Sciences), delivered key [...]
6 September 2024. As we approach a pivotal milestone in our BootStRaP Project, we are thrilled to announce the forthcoming launch of BootstrApp, a cutting-edge mobile application designed to address one of the most pressing issues [...]
8 July 2024 A group of the BootStRaP project experts got together at the ICBA 2024 (on 8-10 July 2024, organisers Zsolt Demetrovics and Andrea Czako) to showcase their most recent research findings. Here is [...]
14 May 2024. PRESS RELEASE With the start of the European Mental Health Awareness Week (13-19 May), we are announcing our joint activity in the BootStRaP project countries. A new, ground-breaking study using smart technology [...]
1 May 2024. We are happy to announce that Prof. Celia Sales, one of the leading minds behind the BootStRaP project, will be sharing invaluable insights on co-creation in mental health research! She is a panelist [...]
23 April 2024. The Bootstrap project being conducted throughout Europe began its first Bootcamp meeting from March 14th to 16th. The project initiators at Missenden Abbey, UK, had the honour of hosting over 50 committed [...]
19 December 2023. International forum on ‘Addictive Behaviours and Crimes Associated with Internet Use’ organised by MINISTRY OF SECURITY AND CITIZEN PROTECTION VIOLENCE AND CRIME PREVENTION UNIT and Pompidou Group - The Council of Europe (19-20/12/2023), [...]
20 November 2023. "You don't need to ask a person if you are addicted to the Internet. More importantly, does surfing the Internet cause your social problems?" says psychologist-psychotherapist Dr. Julius Burkauskas. He works at [...]
31 August 2023. Renowned psychiatrist Prof. Naomi Fineberg captivated audiences worldwide during her insightful appearance in the "Ask the Expert" webinar hosted by Children and Screens, an organisation dedicated to exploring the impact of digital media [...]
13 September 2023. L'Entrevista de L'Informatiu - 13-09-2023. Josep Manuel Menchon, cap de grup a l’IDIBELL i del Servei de Psiquiatria de l’Hospital de Bellvitge... Read more
23 August 2023. 8th International Conference on Behavioural Addictions (ICBA), Incheon, South Korea (23-25/08/2023). Hans-Juergen Rumpf invited the keynote speaker to present the BootStRaP project. https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2006/12/Supplement-1/article-p1.xml
15 July 2023. Boosting Societal Adaptation and Mental Health in a Rapidly Digitalising, Post-Pandemic Europe. Project description Navigating teen internet usage for well-being. The extensive use of the internet has given rise to detrimental behaviours [...]
23 February 2023. A pioneering new study aimed at addressing and reducing the risks of harmful internet use among teenagers is being led by researchers from the University of Hertfordshire. The Bootstrap project (Boosting Societal [...]
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The LOGO
The BootStRaP project is a long-term international study with its own brand and identity. This is a tangible and intangible element, including its history, name, and design – visual identity. The origin of the BootStRaP logo has its roots in the preceding activities of the European Network for Problematic Internet Use (COST action, Net&Me), whose success has significantly expanded the world’s understanding of the connections between health, internet usage, and behavior.
The updated BootStRaP logo reflects continuity and symbolizes the idea of togetherness, uniting a network of scientists researching the influence of the digital world on our brains and behaviour and inspiring us with a new idea: Resilient in times of change.
CONTACT US
If you have any comments or questions about this website or the project, please feel free to contact us.
bootstrap@herts.ac.uk
