Digital media are an important part of the lives of children and adolescents in Germany. While dysfunctional media use has often been in the focus in the past due to its clinical relevance, the state of research on functional use and its promotion is still insufficient. Within the framework of the network "RuhrNetwork for Functional Digital Media-Use in Children and Adolescents", which is funded by the Mercator Research Center Ruhr, we are developing a conceptual understanding of functional media use, researching its psychological mechanisms and developing measures to promote it. The goal is to contribute to a better understanding and more use of the opportunities and possibilities that digital media offer for the healthy development of children and adolescents. A special feature of the network is the interdisciplinary and cross-location collaboration of cognitive psychology (University of Duisburg-Essen), clinical psychology and educational psychology (Ruhr-Universität Bochum).