Tech and Society
Today’s youth are growing up in a world that’s more connected by the day. This reality offers both unprecedented challenges and limitless potential. This program supports solutions that help youth build healthy relationships with technology that will help them thrive in the Digital Age. This program includes our Youth Voice in the Digital Age cohort and the HX project.
If kids can build positive and purposeful relationships with technology, they can understand how it works, how it affects them, and how to use it to make their lives better. Encompassing issues like privacy, mental health, and youth activism, this program supports nonprofits that help youth navigate an increasingly connected world.
Tech and Society
Today’s youth are growing up in a world that’s more connected by the day. This reality offers both unprecedented challenges and limitless potential. This program supports solutions that help youth build healthy relationships with technology that will help them thrive in the Digital Age. This program includes our Youth Voice in the Digital Age cohort and the HX project.
If kids can build positive and purposeful relationships with technology, they can understand how it works, how it affects them, and how to use it to make their lives better. Encompassing issues like privacy, mental health, and youth activism, this program supports nonprofits that help youth navigate an increasingly connected world.
HX: Human Experience
Latest HX Project Updates
Short for “human experience,” HX is an approach to talking about, engaging with, and designing technology in a way that is aligned with our needs as humans — not users.
Take a look at the latest HX Report – Aligning Our Tech Future With Our Human Experience.
Grant Partners
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Beam Center
Beam Center is training and empowering two diverse cohorts of young people to conduct their own research on the topic of Healthy Digital Futures.
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Center for Humane Technology
CHT’s education program creates and shares high-quality, evidence-informed resources with adolescents, parents, and educators at high schools across the U.S.
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Designing for Digital Thriving Challenge
How might we design healthy, inclusive digital spaces that enable individuals and communities to thrive?
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Digital Harbor
Digital Harbor’s project provides approximately 40 Baltimore youth with the equipment, training, and mentorship to research, produce, and market their own podcast that discusses the most pressing technology issues they face today.
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Erikson Institute
Erikson Institute’s project project uses teen voices and experiences to research, develop, and implement a technology peer-to-peer mentoring program.
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Games for Change
Their project inspires young people to shape the culture of online communities, advance youth leadership and advocacy for safe, diverse, and inclusive gaming experiences, and build positive game communities that counter toxicity.
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PeaceCasters
This Louisville-based program helps young leaders become influencers on social media and in their communities by sharing stories, practicing positive communication, and building community online and off.
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Project Zero
Harvard’s Project Zero engages youth in a participatory design project to develop a Digital Well-being Toolkit, which they will pilot and disseminate in partnership with youth-focused organizations.
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Screen Sanity
Launched in 2017, Screen Sanity (formerly START) seeks to drive widespread adoption of key digital health behaviors and build broader awareness about digital health and well-being by providing conversation guides and resources for parents.
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Spy Hop Productions
Spy Hop’s youth-led participatory research, design, and media project engages 400+ Utah youth in challenges, podcasts, and data storytelling to foster digital mindfulness and collective resilience.
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University of California – Davis
The research team at the University of California – Davis is partnering with the Erikson Institute and Northwestern University to run a national longitudinal survey of young people examining the differences in media use during COVID, during the initial phases post-COVID and once settled into the new normal as it relates to mental health and well-being.
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University of Wisconsin: Social Media & Adolescent Health Research Team (SMAHRT)
The SCE grant facilitates youth engagement and collaboration through the Technology and Media (TAM) Youth Advisory Council.
Our Challenge
Youth Voice in the Digital Age
Our Tech and Society Youth Voice Challenge seeks the answer to a single question: How can young people inspire their peers to use technology in healthy ways and make digital spaces better for everyone?
Applications for this Challenge have been closed and partners have been selected. Click “Learn more” to read about this Challenge.
Blog Posts
Creating Connections in Chicago
After years of virtual gatherings, we are energized after being able to convene not one but two Challenge cohorts in-person in Chicago! Convenings built around creating connections, sharing learnings, challenges and best practices with peers are …
Introducing HX: Human Experience in a Tech-Infused World
We are at an inflection point; one that re-examines our relationship to and with technology. Not only is society still grappling with the uncertainty of how and how long COVID-19 will alter our daily routines, the …
#DearSocialMedia
Chicago Ideas + ATTN: Media
It’s no surprise that a generation who grew up on the internet has plenty of insights on how to make it better. These teens challenged today’s biggest technology companies to thoughtfully improve their platforms for young people and the world at large.
Past Work
Today’s youth grow up in a world that’s changing by the day. Our Tech and Society partners helped young people thrive in this rapidly changing world by building positive and productive relationships with technology.