Modeling the future: Understanding the impact of technology on adolescent’s well-being (FUTURE)

Although impacts of technology usage on well-being have been examined from the onset of Internet development, the existing research lacks consistency and complexity in capturing diverse dimensions of well-being. Further, the advancing technological development creates a need for models that can predict future technology impacts based on comprehension of the general principles of technology’s effects. Acknowledging these gaps, this project will develop a complex integrative theory depicting the short- and long-term impacts of technology usage on adolescents’ physical, psychological, and social well-being. We will integrate theories from diverse fields, notably media studies, psychology, and health. The project will develop prospective models that will help understand and predict the future impacts of technology on well-being. The theory development will be based on empirical data from:

Working group 1: The analysis of existing research data
Working group 2: A longitudinal study
Working group 3: Series of experimental studies
Working group 4: Research of online behavior of young people on their phones (via intensive data collection with the use of innovative research tools)

Project goals

The project aims to develop a complex evidence-based theory depicting the impacts of technology usage on the physical, psychological, and social well-being of adolescents aged 11 to 18. We will developed innovative research methods based on the software using artificial intelligence.

Funding

This project has been funded by Czech Science Foundation as an "EXPRO" project. EXPRO is a prestigious and highly competitive grant which supports research teams led by top internationally recognized scientists. It supports excellent projects which are often “high risk and high gain” with potential for substantial advancement of scientific knowledge and significant enhancement of the quality of science.