Professor Douglas A. Gentile, Ph.D.

Douglas A. Gentile, Ph.D., is an award-winning educator, research scientist, and author. Prof. Gentile conducts research on the media’s impact on children and adults. Named one of America’s best 300 professors by the Princeton Review, he is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science.

 In addition, he is a meditation teacher, a Buddhist monk and Dharma holder in the Five Mountain Zen Order.  With decades of scientific research and training in several styles of Buddhism, he has a dual expertise in Western psychological science and Eastern philosophy. 

Dr. Gentile’s work has appeared on NPR’s Morning Edition, the BBC World Service, CNN, Good Morning America, The Today Show, The New York Times, and hundreds of other media outlets.  Holding a Ph.D. in child psychology from the University of Minnesota and a M.Div. from Buddha Dharma University, Dr. Gentile is the author or editor of several books and well over 100 peer-reviewed scientific studies.

Praise for Douglas Gentile

“Dr. Gentile is an exceptional scholar, teacher, and mentor… His research is exceptional and has broad public policy implications.”
– Ed Donnerstein, Dean Emeritus, University of Arizona

 “Dr. Doug Gentile combines top-notch science with down-to-earth applications.”
– David Walsh, psychologist, author, and speaker

 “Professor Doug Gentile is one of the top scholars in the world on media and kids. He has researched this topic for decades, and his work is highly cited by other scholars. Professor Gentile’s research not only advances science on this topic; it also helps policymakers, pediatricians, and parents make more informed decisions.”
­– Brad J. Bushman, Professor of Communication and Psychology, Ohio State University

“Prof. Gentile is among the leading scholars worldwide in the field of media effects on children and youth. His work on the effects of violent media and on the addictive potential of excessive media use has filled important gaps in our understanding of the potentially harmful effects of media use.”
­– Barbara Krahé, Professor of Psychology, University of Potsdam

 “Dr. Douglas Gentile is truly a leader in the field of media and children. He is an excellent scholar and has given hundreds of parents real tools to help understand and manage their children’s media use.”
 ­– Sarah M. Coyne, Associate Professor, Brigham Young University

 “Professor Gentile is one of the handful of most knowledgeable experts in the country on children and media. He’s also, not coincidentally, one of the leading researchers. I’d take his word for effects of media on kids anytime.”
– Vic Strasburger, M.D., Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics Emeritus, University of New Mexico School of Medicine

“Dr. Gentile’s presentation of meditation and Buddhist practices is kind, clear and useful. His academic and scientific background supports the transformative approach of these practices, without overcomplicating his presentation. Students new to meditation will find a good container for beginning a practice here.”
-Ethan Nichtern, author of The Road Home: A Contemporary Exploration of the Buddhist Path