Teen mental health and wellbeing struggles have been in the public eye, but contrary to most headlines, banning social media isn’t the solution. A recent report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine summarized the actual evidence: Research does not suggest that social media engagement is driving the teen mental health crisis, and young people’s engagement with social media can have both positive and negative effects depending on the experience and context. Despite this, negative effects, adult-driven solutions, and deficit views of teens dominate the public narrative of teens and tech. By contrast, how young people mobilize online connections to organize, connect with their families and communities, express themselves, and support one another get little attention.
Launched in March 2023, the Connected Wellbeing Initiative (CWI) elevates an evidence-based and solution-oriented counter narrative about teens and tech that reflects the leadership, voice, and lived experiences of diverse teens. CWI researchers, youth-centered organizations, and funders are united by the belief that intergenerational partnership, which recognizes young people’s role as innovators and owners of solutions, is essential to fostering healthy and empowered relationships with technology. CWI also recognizes the diversity of youth needs and assets, highlighting approaches growing from communities with different backgrounds, interests, and identities – particularly marginalized groups overlooked by more established mental health and wellbeing interventions.
Over the course of a year, the CWI Impact Studio brought together 11 teams developing youth-serving innovations that foster youth and community wellbeing through strengths-based, socially-connected, and youth-centered approaches. Impact Studio teams were offered tailored advising, capacity building opportunities, and cross-sector connections to accelerate impact and build shared purpose. The Impact Studio also developed case studies of each team, released today – inspiring stories and in-depth views into strategies and know-how for mobilizing technology to advance youth leadership and wellbeing in integrated and equitable ways.
Solutions are not one-size-fits all, and are responsive to contexts and communities. Impact Studio teams reflect, in varied ways, three types of approaches:
Connecting to people who get you: Innovations from the Seattle Public Library, ExperienceCraft, Give Us The Floor, and selfsea by Peer Health Exchange excel at creating moderated online settings, designed with valuable youth input, that offer safe, supportive, and affirming communities made up of youth who share interests and experiences. Research has shown that affinity networks and safe online communities founded on shared interests can provide important spaces of refuge for youth.
Harnessing tech for equity and belonging: Programs like the Race, Abolition, and AI (RAAI) project, ListoAmerica’s remote work, Maven Youth, and Games for Change Learn are committed to empowering youth to design and re-imagine digital tools and spaces to make important changes to who technology is serving and how. The work of each of these organizations strives to reflect the identities, culture, and strengths of young people who are usually passed over and underestimated by dominant technology culture.
Diversifying and amplifying youth voice: Organizations like Novelly, Teach YR, and This Teenage Life support young people in feeling that they are not alone by highlighting and promoting their lived experiences and strengths through online representation by relatable peers. These organizations, which do a variety of work in youth media, support young people’s overall wellbeing by empowering diverse youth creators.
This case study series highlights the work of each of these innovative teams. Each case study takes an in-depth look at the meaningful work each organization is doing to support wellbeing in the digital age, highlighting the established and research-informed approaches from the connected learning space that undergird their work, and exploring how their driving principles and approaches exemplify connected wellbeing in action.
Read more about the Impact Studio teams and check out the case studies here! For further updates from the Connected Wellbeing Initiative, join the CWI mailing list.
Post by Jenna Abrams & Mimi Ito
