Project fosters youth wellbeing
The nonprofit Connected Learning Alliance and the Connected Learning Lab at the University of California, Irvine, have launched the new Connected Wellbeing Initiative, a collaborative effort focused on amplifying benefits of digital technology for vulnerable youth by accelerating innovation, building a coalition, and supporting a more evidence-driven narrative about youth, technology and wellbeing.
“Research finds few robust linkages between digital technology use and adolescent mental health, yet technology is often portrayed as the driver of youth mental health problems. It is time to move forward in the solution space, where substantial agreement exists regarding the need to provide young people with the tools that they need to support their mental health. That is the objective of this initiative,” says Candice Odgers, professor of psychological science who helped lead the Connected Wellbeing Initiative.
Members of the initiative see positive relationships with technology as a way to foster individual wellbeing, community thriving, and equity.
The Connected Wellbeing Initiative will bring together varied sectors, communities, and cultures to help raise awareness, demonstrate positive uses of technology, and empower young people to protect and advance their wellbeing in a tech-driven world. The project will particularly focus on connecting the for-profit technology sector and public sectors of health and education, as well as building shared understanding between adults and youth.
Key aspects of the initiative include:
- Impact Studio: supports 11 innovative youth-driven projects with demonstrated success and engagement to grow and expand their impact. The Studio provides an infusion of coaching, social capital, and matchmaking opportunities with potential funders and partners.
- Coalition Events: free online monthly workshops led by experts and community meetups. The first workshop, hosted in June, will feature a panel of experts from health, education, and youth development sectors.
- Advisory Board: a cross-sector slate of experts helps to guide the initiative, lead workshops, and mentor teams in the Impact Studio.
Last week, an advisory from the Surgeon General discussed the effects of social media use on youth mental health. In addition to highlighting harms, the advisory notes benefits: “adolescents report that social media helps them feel more accepted (58%), like they have people who can support them through tough times (67%), like they have a place to show their creative side (71%), and more connected to what’s going on in their friends’ lives (80%).” It also notes how “different children are affected by social media in different ways, including based on cultural, historical, and socio-economic factors.”
Innovators were planning the project and establishing the framework for the Connected Wellbeing Initiative well before the report was published.
“Because of their immersion and fluency with technology of the day, young people are uniquely positioned to receive benefits of technology, and they are underappreciated experts in fostering positive human interaction with it,” says Mimi Ito, director of the Connected Learning Lab. “This Initiative will tap their experience as we build an environment where youth are equipped to have healthy online interactions and relations.”
The Connected Wellbeing Project invites interested organizations and individuals to join the coalition. Learn more at connectedwellbeing.org.