Background
Internet addiction is a serious condition
A large body of emerging research evidence indicates that Internet Addiction (IA) is a serious condition. For young people, excessive Internet use is often linked with several negative aspects, such as withdrawal from offline activities, social isolation, escape from reality, higher exposure to online risks (i.e. sexually explicit material, cyber-bullying, sexual solicitation, etc.), higher incidence of substance use, poor emotional well-being, and decreased academic performance in adolescents, problems in their social development, physical health, ambition and goal setting, which, finally, affect their employability and citizenship.
Aims & benefits
Increasing awareness - Advancing Training
The in SCREEN MODE project has a twofold AIM: an awareness one, by promoting the smart and responsible use of Internet by young people (16-25 years old), as well as an educational one, by proposing appropriate actions for reducing their screen time and advancing and promoting instead of passive, interactive and interpersonal offline and online entertainment and e-communication. The project starts on September 2017 and ends on September 2019.
Empowering young people
The project will initiate a novel training approach to empower young people (16-25 years old) in six (6) countries (UK, POLAND, GREECE, LITHUANIA, CYPRUS & ROMANIA), showing an excessive screen activity or being at risk for Internet Addiction (IA) to modify their computer behaviour for responsible computer use through the elaboration of personalised withdrawal or screen modification plans.
Empowering a large network of stakeholders
The in SCREEN MODE training and tools primarily address young people (16-25 years old). These tools will be useful for indirect stakeholders as well, such as:
- youth practitioners and educators, who may profit from innovative pedagogical approaches to deal with excessive technology use by their young students, and;
- youth associations, addiction NGOs, therapists, researchers and youth workers, who may value the provided approach and tools as supporting instruments in a variety of educational and empowerment settings.
Innovation
Promoting open & innovative practices, training & tools
An Internet Addiction Genie:
- A major innovation of the project is the hands-on approach to the Internet Addiction problem separating young people depending on their actual Internet use. An "Internet Addiction Genie" will be developed, an interactive tool which, based upon situational and behavioral data in relation to Internet use of each specific user, will suggest personalised & customisable moderation plans and actions;
- An online training delivery environment facilitated by Social Learning Motivational functionalities will be developed, which will deliver interactive media learning content regarding each specific learner’s Internet behavior;
- Hands-on training events in 6 countries (UK, POLAND, GREECE, LITHUANIA, CYPRUS & ROMANIA) will be organised targeting young trainees with the intention of equipping them with the necessary skills and competencies in setting and applying goals for moderating Internet and screen activity;
- A virtual space, the in SCREEN MODE Academy, providing the necessary infrastructure to facilitate a network of youth associations, youth workers, researchers, therapists and other relevant stakeholders who will adopt the results of the project and continue to maintain and develop them past the funding period.
