SMAHRT

What SMAHRT does

SMAHRT (Social Media and Adolescent Health Research Team) is an academic research team within the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Department of Pediatrics, founded in 2011 when Principal Investigator Dr. Megan Moreno received her first NIH R01 grant. The team conducts longitudinal and cross-sectional research on the relationship between social media use and adolescent health outcomes, with a primary focus on substance use (alcohol, marijuana), problematic internet use, mental health, and online safety. Its core technology and IP consists of validated peer-reviewed measurement instruments—the ADTI (Adolescents' Digital Technology Interactions and Importance) scale, PRIUSS (Problematic and Risky Internet Use Screening Scale), and PRIUSS-3—alongside ecological momentary assessment (EMA) tools and a social media content analysis methodology covering Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and cannabis-company advertising. The team has produced 24 papers from its original R01 grant over 11 years, maintains a 5-year longitudinal dataset of 338 college students, and has surveyed a national sample of 6,000 young adults ages 18-25.

Name

SMAHRT

Legal name

Social Media and Adolescent Health Research Team (SMAHRT)

Website

https://smahrtresearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SMAHRT is a University of Wisconsin-Madison academic research team that studies social media's impact on adolescent health, developing validated measurement scales and producing longitudinal datasets for the pediatric research community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Health Research / Social Media and Adolescent Health

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Student Wellness & Prevention Programs (Substance Use, Sexual Health, Bullying) (EDAJAIAG)

Keywords

• Adolescent health research
• Social media research
• Health behavior studies
• Digital wellness research
• Problematic internet use

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. NIH Research Grant Funding: Primary funding from National Institutes of Health R01 grants. First R01 grant awarded in 2011 titled 'Using Media to Understand Mechanisms of Behavior Change'. Federal research grant funding supports all research operations, staff, and trainee programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SMAHRT is an academic research team that conducts scientific studies on the relationship between social media use and adolescent health, including substance use, mental health, problematic internet use, and online safety. The team develops and disseminates open-access validated measurement scales (ADTI, PRIUSS, PRIUSS-3), maintains longitudinal datasets available through a formal Data Sharing Program, and offers research training programs including the Summer Research Scholars initiative and Youth Advisory Boards. Outputs are delivered via peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and methodological resources for the broader academic and adolescent-health community.

Product overview

SMAHRT (Social Media and Adolescent Health Research Team) is an academic research team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, not a commercial product company. They conduct research on the relationship between social media and adolescent health, and offer open-access research resources including validated assessment scales (ADTI Scale, PRIUSS, PRIUSS-3), research methodologies, datasets for collaboration, and youth research opportunity programs. Their offerings are freely available research tools and educational programs for the academic and adolescent health communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ADTI Scale (Adolescents' Digital Technology Interactions and Importance Scale) A validated measurement instrument for assessing adolescents' digital technology interactions and importance; used by clinicians and researchers studying adolescent technology use and misuse.
• PRIUSS Scale (Problematic and Risky Internet Use Screening Scale) A validated screening instrument for problematic and risky internet use among adolescents and young adults; used by researchers and clinicians to identify at-risk technology users.
• PRIUSS-3 (3-item screening tool) A brief 3-item screening version of the PRIUSS scale for problematic internet use among adolescents and young adults; designed for quick administration in clinical and research settings.
• SMAHRT Data Sharing Program Formal program enabling other researchers to access SMAHRT datasets (including social media and substance use data) through a proposal review and secure data transfer process; used by scientific collaborators globally for secondary analysis.
• Summer Research Scholars (SRS) Program A research training and mentorship program for undergraduate scholars focused on diversifying the scientific pipeline; supported in part by donations following federal grant cuts.
• Youth Advisory Boards (SMAHRT Health Behaviors & TAM) Teen advisory boards (SMAHRT Health Behaviors Youth Advisory Board and TAM Youth Advisory Board) that incorporate adolescent perspectives into research design, interpretation, and dissemination.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• We R Native (Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative relationship based on intersecting work between media use and adolescent health. Jointly developed webinar training for adults working with Native youth on responding to concerning social media posts. Collaborated on study titled 'Responding to concerning posts on social media: American Indian and Alaska Native youth's perspectives and solutions' co-presented at IHS Behavioral Health Conference and APHA. We R Native serves as multimedia health resource for AI/AN teens (ages 13-21) including interactive website, text messaging service, and 'Ask Auntie' Q&A service.
• Charles Wright AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Academic Technology Coordinator Holly Gerla to conduct focus groups with students for understanding youth perspectives on technology use.
• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMAHRT contributes to AAP Center of Excellence through research on social media and youth mental health. Dr. Megan Moreno involved in 'Resetting the Narrative: Teens, Tech and Mental Health' presentation. SMAHRT team member Avery Salerno serves as project lead for SMAHRT's contributions.
• Technology and Adolescent Mental Wellness (TAM) ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated program focused on technology and adolescent mental health. Includes TAM Youth Advisory Board with teen members providing input on research. URL: tamprogram.org
• B3 Study (b3study.org)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated research program related to adolescent health and technology. Listed as affiliated program on SMAHRT website.
• Learning More From Adolescents Online Lab (LMFAO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch lab within UW-Madison Department of Pediatrics. Dr. Angie Calvin serves as member of LMFAO while also working with SMAHRT.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Children and Screens: Institute for Digital Media and Child Development: Interdisciplinary research institute convening scientists studying digital media's effects on child and adolescent development. Shares SMAHRT's research-to-policy pipeline and focus on rigorous evidence generation around youth and technology.
• Hopelab: Social-purpose organization that funds research and develops digital health interventions for adolescents and young adults. Directly comparable in research focus on technology and youth mental health/wellbeing, though operates with foundation funding rather than NIH grants.
• Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School: Academic research lab studying the effects of digital media on youth health and development, with a similar mix of peer-reviewed research, validated measurement approaches, and clinical/parent-facing resources. Directly comparable to SMAHRT in mission and methodology.
• Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University: Academic research center studying the internet's role in society, including youth and digital wellbeing. Comparable in producing open-access research and methodological frameworks, though with broader scope than adolescent-specific work.
• Center for Media and Human Development at Northwestern University: University-based research center studying media's influence on children and adolescents. Directly comparable academic research unit with similar grant-funded model and longitudinal study designs on youth media exposure.
• Center for Innovative Public Health Research: Nonprofit research organization conducting NIH-funded studies on adolescent sexual health, substance use, and digital media. Closely comparable to SMAHRT in funder base, methodology, and population focus on at-risk adolescents.

Broad incumbents

• Common Sense Media: Larger, well-established nonprofit producing both research and consumer ratings on media for children and families. Overlapping research output on adolescent media use but operating at broader scope with industry ratings and consumer products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SMAHRTeam
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/social-media-and-adolescent-health-research-team
• Instagraminstagram.com/smahrteam
• Xx.com/SMAHRTeam

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about SMAHRT