At Stanford Tech-X: Co-designed InstaBrake for the wellbeing of ADHD Youth
Updated: Aug 17
Stanford University’s Tech-X: Mental Health + Technology Immersion Experience is a unique summer program for high schoolers around the world passionate about mental health innovation.
I was incredibly excited to join 90 inspiring and diverse high school students exploring the possibilities of mental health innovation, especially for ADHD girls like me, who present differently than the hyperactive stereotype and go largely undiagnosed, often masking to fit in. Research shows that ADHD youth are five times more likely to develop social media addiction.
Through interactive lectures, workshops, discussions, and capstone projects, we explored how emerging technologies, including social media, artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), and wearables, can be designed and used to support youth mental health.
We also learned about the incredible work done by Stanford's GoodforMEdia youth initiative on digital wellness toolkits, conversed about AI ethics and use of LLMs (Large Language Models) for training and therapy, and met Dr. Grace Hawthorne, a pioneer in user-centric design at the Stanford d.school.
Applying our learnings toward a real-world solution was the highlight of the program! My team and I co-designed InstaBrake. We proposed specific Instagram platform changes to better support users with ADHD, time blindness, and internet addiction. Among our concrete recommendations included mindfulness and customizable algorithm modes, irreversible pre-session time limits as a commitment device, and features to reduce sensory overload.
Looking forward to this fall, as Youth for Neurodiversity Inc. pushes youth-centered digital wellness bills in California and other states, the Stanford Tech-X immersive empowered me to have deeper conversations with policymakers on the power of emerging technologies for mental health innovation and the guardrails technology companies must invest in.
Huge thanks to everyone at the Stanford Tech-X program!
