S.M. de Droog (Simone)

Experience and expertise

Simone de Droog is a strong quantitative researcher, writer, speaker, consultant and someone who easily gets others excited about her ideas. For 20 years, young target groups have been her specialism.

She gained scientific and practice-oriented knowledge and experience in research methodologies, product development and grant projects concerning children during her PhD trajectory at the research group Child & Media at the University of Amsterdam (Communication Science), her postdoc at Radboud University Nijmegen (Communication Science), as senior researcher at Hogeschool Utrecht (Human Experience & Media Design) and as consultant for companies working with young target groups.

Many of her projects focus on children's well-being, including health and education. In line with growing digitalisation, she has spent the past seven years developing her work in the field of games, VR and social robots for children. In doing so, she focuses on the design, measurements and effects of child-technology interaction.

Among other things, Simone was principal investigator in the educational SOROCOVA robotics project and recently (2024) won two robotics grants: a KIEM on robot-child relationship building, and a RAAK-Public on a Dream robot for children in hospital.

Motivation

Simone de Droog has always had an interest in the role of media in children's lives. She likes to explore how media can have a positive impact on children, for example by making them healthier, smarter, more empowered and happier.

She is particularly interested in non-human entities such as characters and robots. The way children interact and relate to these entities can lead to them becoming powerful teachers, coaches and role models for children. However, it is important to consider the often age-related cognitive and socio-emotional abilities, as well as a child's personal interests and preferences, when designing these interactions. But she finds that very puzzle an interesting challenge. Fortunately, new technologies are making it increasingly possible to fine-tune interactions, making interventions for children more powerful and sustainable.

Background

Simone has worked on all kinds of research projects for children and young people, especially in the field of interactions and relationships with characters and robots. She has also advised various companies in the development of products and services, especially in the field of (character & social) marketing, game design and picture books.

Over the years, she has worked on a diversity of young audiences-related topics, including healthy eating, sports, practising maths, swimming anxiety, hospital anxiety and counselling, Covid education, brushing teeth, reading pleasure, nomophobia, and playing outside.