In the Community: Exploring Healthy, Safe and Smart Tech Use with Our Friends at Minds-On

On July 22 and 24, we spent two fantastic mornings with our friends at Minds-On, engaging youth in conversations and activities that explored healthy, safe and smart technology use!

Day 1: Exploring Our Tech and Digital Wellness

Together, we discussed:

1. Our favourite types of technology, from smartphones to gaming systems, iPads, robots, and everything in between.

2. How technology can make us happy or sad/frustrated.

3. How we can use our technology in ways that are healthy, safe and smart.

Here's what the youth had to say:

• Healthy: Take breaks, if you are feeling sad from something you saw or read online - talk to someone you trust, and spend time outside to reduce your screen time.

• Safe: Ask permission before clicking, don't share your personal information or talk to people you don't recognize, and report inappropriate accounts or content.

• Smart: Use technology to our advantage by playing educational games (math, reading), don't share your passwords with anyone (except with parents), and avoid "suspicious-looking" games or links.

Day 2: Designing "Tech for Good"!

We spent time thinking about what technologies could look like if they were built to promote happiness, connection, and well-being.

Our epic youth designers built:

• Collaborative games where friends can embark on adventures, create fun foods together in virtual kitchens, and play any sport in an "endless sports arena."

• Apps for connecting with friends who are far away or "making new friends who like the same things as me."

• A sleep app that reads calm stories to help us fall asleep so that we have better sleep because better rest = more energy + better moods = happier days!

Thank you for having us! We cannot wait for our next visit to continue the conversation on mental health, technology, and thriving in the digital age!