Tap Trap

Our goal is to create a campaign to educate and raise awareness so that young people in our school and local communities become more conscious and aware of just how much time young people can spend and lose on their phone and in front of their screens. Through our project campaign and innovative actions, carried out by our proactive 'Scroll Patrol,' we aim to promote the importance of being able to identify, recognise, realise, and be wise to the difference between healthy and unhealthy use of digital devices and existing in an online space. We want to empower teenagers to practice more balanced digital habits and help young people understand the effects, impacts, and dangers that screen time has on their overall health and wellbeing. We recognise just how quickly and easy it is to become consumed by the digital world and lose touch with reality, allowing ‘time thieves’—endless scrolling, constant notifications, and digital distractions—to take over. Global and national research shows just how much unhealthy and unbalanced digital habits can affect our mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. By fostering greater awareness, we hope to encourage healthier habits that help young people regain control over their digital lives rather than letting their screens control them and fall victim to the “Tap Trap”.

Our Social Issue

Our YSI project is called "Tap Trap". Our issue of social concern focuses on the experience of teenage digital habits by exploring our relationship with the online and digital space that is very present and a huge part of our daily lives. By delving deeper into this relationship and examining our phone usage, digital device usage as well as how we navigate our "online" lives in an ever evolving virtual space, we wish to help young people become more aware and mindful of their phone and device usage while empowering them to build healthier and more balanced digital habits.

Why We Chose It

We felt that excessive screen time and unhealthy digital habits are pressing social issues. We believe they directly impact every young person, as our lives are deeply connected to the digital world. By addressing this issue, we realise we have the opportunity to educate our peers about falling victim to unhealthy digital habits and the harmful impacts they can have. We hope to assist teenagers in developing strategies for recognising and managing their screen time, skills that will serve beyond our teenage years. Our goal is to empower teens with the tools to maintain a healthy&balanced relationship with technology.

Our Goal

Tap Trap encourages young people to disconnect from their screens & reconnect with the world around them. Our project raises awareness about excessive screen time, promoting healthier digital habits through our campaign.Our "Scroll Patrol" educate & empower teenagers to recognise the difference between healthy&unhealthy device use.Our initiatives include a whole-school survey, "Back2Basics"fundraiser, podcast, and interactive JC wellbeing workshops. Using technology creatively & in a positive way, we engage teenagers through initiatives, events, podcasts &workshops, making our project innovative &relatable. We provide the skills needed to safeguard online lives, managing screen time wisely, and avoiding the "Tap Trap."

Our Innovative Action

We launched a social media campaign on Instagram and TikTok to engage diverse audiences, using "Scroll Patrol Shorts" to encourage reflection on screen time and "time thieves." Videos reached 33K, 28K, and 19K views, with hashtags #RewindYourMind amplifying our message. We created a visual display, "Progress, Plans, and Proof," showcasing research on screen time. During our school's Open Day, we promoted the project and conducted a whole-school survey to gather insights. Our "Back to Basics" fundraiser raised over €550 for Jigsaw Kerry. We also created a podcast and a rap song, both addressing healthy digital habits in engaging ways.

Our Impact

We have empowered individuals in our school&local communities to better understand & manage screen time, promoting healthier digital habits. Our campaign sparked important conversations about excessive screen time and encouraged mindful choices. Through catchy slogans like "#RewindYourMind" and "#ReduceYourUse," we’ve made digital wellness accessible. Using Instagram and TikTok, we reached over 56K views with “Scroll Patrol Shorts,” to connect with peers. Our Tap Trap podcast opened conversations on digital balance, offering practical tips. By fundraising for Jigsaw Kerry, we supported mental health initiatives(SDG3), ultimately fostering a healthier relationship with technology and improving teenagers’ mental health and well-being(SDG4).