Tech Talk card game prototype¶

Element · All elements
Evidence · 2 claims (2 for) · 1 study (1 design), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study

Description¶

Tech Talk is a card game prototype co-designed by youth to encourage human connection and frank conversations among young people about social media use and its impacts. The first iteration included "a set of instructions and a deck of 24 cards with conversation prompts (16 cards) and task prompts (8 cards)" organized by the challenge themes from the focus groups. Prompts include conversation questions such as "What's one app that you spend too much time on, but want to spend less time on? Why?" and task prompts like deleting unused apps or turning off notifications. The game instructions include youth-designed norm setting and flexibility options, and a version 2.0 prototype was refined using feedback from youth play testers.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Youth designers emphasized setting ground rules before play so participants know what to expect and feel safe to be vulnerable, including confidentiality and listening without assumptions or judgement

Constraints¶

• The prototype was designed to be flexible and adaptable across settings and contexts, playable with or without smartphones, and as a longer game or a short lightning round

Target Learners¶

• high school-aged youth (ages 14-18)
• friends, students, or after-school groups

Target Learning Goals¶

• peer-to-peer conversations about technology use and digital well-being
• setting personal goals for building healthy habits when using technology

Claims¶

• Youth designers specified norm setting and flexibility as key components of the Tech Talk game instructions [+W]
• Youth focus groups surfaced four key digital well-being challenge themes: addiction and compulsive use, impact on thinking, effects on social skills, and effects on mental health [+W]

Related Elements¶

Examples¶

• Address digital well-being with empathy, root-cause understanding, asset framing, and tech-free spaces

Key Sources¶

• Karim, S., Liberman, B., & Trettin, S. (2025). Tech Talk: Co-Designing Youth Digital Well-Being Solutions. Digital Promise. https://doi.org/10.51388/20.500.12265/264