Lessons from the Midwest Youth Wellness Initiative on Technology
Mentor 1
Linnea Laestadius
Start Date
28-4-2023 12:00 AM
Description
Currently, there is a lack of input from high school-aged students in research regarding the ongoing youth mental health crisis. Utilizing a Youth Advisory Board, a group of teenaged participants knowledgeable on our chosen topic, presents a unique opportunity to gain multiple perspectives on the target demographic. The Youth Advisory Board (YAB) for the Midwest Youth Wellness Initiative on Technology (MYWIT) was formed in 2022 with a pilot group of six high school students of color from Milwaukee. This group meets every other month online over Zoom synchronously, with facilitation from a team of UWM faculty and students. These students were asked to formulate their own research topic related to technology in their lives. They specifically chose to focus on technology in the classroom and explored ideas like instant feedback and devices affecting engagement. There was also an opportunity to gather input from participants on other ongoing projects. This included a project examining the effects of non-medical artificial intelligence on adolescents by way of social media interventions with machine learning chatbots. Information gathered from this pilot cohort will lead to increased engagement with future participants and an improved study design. Specifically, the pilot trial demonstrated the importance of consistent communication and set expectations on participant engagement outside of scheduled meeting times.
Lessons from the Midwest Youth Wellness Initiative on Technology
Currently, there is a lack of input from high school-aged students in research regarding the ongoing youth mental health crisis. Utilizing a Youth Advisory Board, a group of teenaged participants knowledgeable on our chosen topic, presents a unique opportunity to gain multiple perspectives on the target demographic. The Youth Advisory Board (YAB) for the Midwest Youth Wellness Initiative on Technology (MYWIT) was formed in 2022 with a pilot group of six high school students of color from Milwaukee. This group meets every other month online over Zoom synchronously, with facilitation from a team of UWM faculty and students. These students were asked to formulate their own research topic related to technology in their lives. They specifically chose to focus on technology in the classroom and explored ideas like instant feedback and devices affecting engagement. There was also an opportunity to gather input from participants on other ongoing projects. This included a project examining the effects of non-medical artificial intelligence on adolescents by way of social media interventions with machine learning chatbots. Information gathered from this pilot cohort will lead to increased engagement with future participants and an improved study design. Specifically, the pilot trial demonstrated the importance of consistent communication and set expectations on participant engagement outside of scheduled meeting times.
