{"id":33946,"date":"2026-08-21T06:45:33","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T06:45:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/ssr\/?page_id=33946"},"modified":"2026-08-21T06:45:33","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T06:45:33","slug":"rethinking-online-safety","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/ssr\/research-projects\/rethinking-online-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Rethinking Online Safety: Empowering Teens and Communities through Sociotechnical Design"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\n\t\t\tRethinking Online Safety: Empowering Teens and Communities through Sociotechnical Design\t<\/h2>\n

\n\t\t\tOverview\t<\/h3>\n\t

This proposal tackles pressing challenges in teen well-being and online safety by designing social technologies that support healthy teen-mobile technology relationships. Guided by Ecological Systems Theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1977), we pursue four research objectives spanning from individual behaviors to societal narratives. Our systems-oriented approach enables the creation of integrated sociotechnical systems that are meaningful, socially grounded, and culturally responsive (Sawyer & Jarrahi, 2013).<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tObjectives\t<\/h3>\n\t
    \n
  1. Support Teen Self-Regulation and Reflective Mobile Use <\/b>(Microsystem – Individual\/Peer Level<\/i>): We design mobile-based tools with teens to promote intentional phone use while fostering autonomy and agency. These tools provide reflective prompts and peer-based nudges that encourage teens to pause and reflect on their digital habits.<\/li>\n
  2. Foster Dialogic, Trust-Centered Relationships Between Teens and Parents<\/b>\u00a0(Mesosystem – Interpersonal\/Household Level<\/i>): To strengthen family relationships, we create interactive domestic tools that facilitate joint reflection, shared boundary-setting, and mutual understanding. Rather than enforcing surveillance, these tools support trust and empathy in negotiating screen use together.<\/li>\n
  3. Leverage Community Knowledge Through Peer Mentorship and Intergenerational Dialogue\u00a0<\/b>(Exosystem – Community Level<\/i>): We develop systems that share situated insights from older teens (ages 16-19) and elders. These foster peer mentorship and storytelling across generations, cultivating digital resilience and a sense of shared responsibility for well-being.<\/li>\n
  4. Reframe Narratives and Embed Cultural Nuance in Technology Use<\/b>\u00a0(Macrosystem – Societal\/Systemic Level<\/i>): As part of our broader impact, we aim to offer alternative perspectives on youth and technology-complementing dominant narratives centered on risk and control with an emphasis on care, empowerment, and cultural relevance. This includes interconnected services and tools-such as guidebooks, communication materials, and novel technologies-co-designed with diverse families in Singapore. Grounded in their lived realities, these resources provide context-sensitive and meaningful ways to engage with mobile technology in everyday life.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \n\t\t\tRelated Information\t<\/h3>\n\t

    Project Duration: 1 May 2026 – 30 Apr 2027<\/p>\n\t\t

    Key Facts<\/h3>\n\t\t\t

    Principal Investigation:
    Dr Janghee Cho (Department of Design, NUS)<\/p>\n

    Co-Investigations:
    A\/P Jungup Lee (Department of Social Work & SSR, NUS)
    Dr Clement Zheng (Department of Design, NUS)<\/p>\n

    Collaborators:
    Prof Sun Sun Lim (SMU)
    Dr Junnan Yu (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University)<\/p>\n

    \n\t\t\tFunding Agency\t<\/h3>\n

    \n\t\t\tSSR Staff Involved\t<\/h2>\n
    \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\"<b>A\/P\n\t\t\t\t\t(opens in new tab)\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t
    A\/Prof Jungup Lee<\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Rethinking Online Safety: Empowering Teens and Communities through Sociotechnical Design Overview This proposal tackles pressing challenges in teen well-being and online safety by designing social technologies that support healthy teen-mobile technology relationships. Guided by Ecological Systems Theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1977), we pursue four research objectives spanning from individual behaviors to societal narratives. Our systems-oriented approach enables […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":410,"featured_media":0,"parent":115,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"page-builder","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"unboxed","site-sidebar-style":"unboxed","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-33946","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRethinking Online Safety: Empowering Teens and Communities through Sociotechnical Design - Social Service Research Centre<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/ssr\/research-projects\/rethinking-online-safety\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rethinking Online Safety: Empowering Teens and Communities through Sociotechnical Design - Social Service Research Centre\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Rethinking Online Safety: Empowering Teens and Communities through Sociotechnical Design Overview This proposal tackles pressing challenges in teen well-being and online safety by designing social technologies that support healthy teen-mobile technology relationships. 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