Young people, wellbeing and communication technologies

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) play an increasingly significant role in the key social and economic determinants of young people’s mental health that have been identified by VicHealth in its Mental Health Promotion Framework 2005–2007.

ICTs create new processes of social inclusion, can contribute to ensuring freedom from discrimination and violence and facilitate access to economic resources. Whilst changes and developments in technology are rapid, there has not yet been a time when the learning, training, citizenship and enterprise potential from the creative use of digital technologies, has been greater.

‘Cyberspace’ represents a new sector for action which VicHealth would like to explore. To this end, a scoping paper entitled Young People, Technology & Social Relationships was commissioned by VicHealth and undertaken by Johanna Wyn of the University of Melbourne’s Youth Research Centre.

This work has informed VicHealth’s decision to offer grants of up to $100,000 per year, for three years, to develop, research and evaluate initiatives which explore the impact of technology on young people’s social relationships, and mental health and wellbeing.

Projects funded through VicHealth’s Young People, Technology and Social Relationships program:

• The 10MMM project will study the challenges associated with the digital divide facing young people in the rural shire of Southern Grampians. 10MMM will use a range of technologies to assist in reducing the effects of social isolation for young people. It will involve young people at all stages including developing new technologies, identifying leaders and research.
• SYN.ORG.AU will work with a number of metropolitan and rural Victorian high schools and youth programs to develop and implement an online youth program site. This project will also train teachers in how to use the site for student curriculum requirements.
• Bridging the Digital Divide is a Youth Action Project and a new initiative of the Inspire Foundation that aims to increase social connectedness and civic engagement as a means of promoting mental health and wellbeing amongst young people aged 16-25 from some of Australia’s most under-served communities. An extensive research and community consultation phase will begin in late 2006/early 2007 exploring key concepts around the role Information Communication Technology (ICT) play in young people’s development and social relationships. This research will inform the development of ‘youth action workshops’ that will be implemented in selected Beanbag and other youth centres in Victoria. It is anticipated that these workshops will provide an opportunity for young people to identify specific action projects that will allow them to take advantage of ActNow as a resource and communication tool. You can read the Bridging the Digital Divide Report 2007
• The SPiT Project is a partnership between two disability respite and support agencies in Bendigo and East Gippsland. It will focus on improving connections between disabled young people through the development of skills in digital music and arts related technology. It will also trial a computer skills mentoring program engaging young people with Asperger’s syndrome, high functioning austism and ADD/ADHD.
• The Avatar Project is a Victoria University initiative in which students and young people from the Western suburbs will design online environments in which they feel they belong together and can express themselves. This will form the basis of a 3-D computer game, custom-designed to develop social interaction as well as a suite of easy to use web based communication tools.
  

Read full Media Release (September 2006) 

On this page we will provide regular updates and invites to forums about these five projects.

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