Social media overuse among teenagers is a growing concern, but insightful data is scarce. The Space Teen Monitor addresses this gap by mapping social media habits among a representative sample of teenagers. The project not only maps usage and overuse but also investigates teenagers’ awareness of, and experience with, strategies to disconnect. In addition, it explores how teenagers perceive social media use among their peers and within families.

Conducted annually, the monitor provides a foundation for scientific publications and for public reporting in the form of the ScrollReport, a document aimed at sharing insights with broader audiences. By consistently measuring trends over time, the project allows researchers, policymakers, and educators to understand emerging patterns, evaluate interventions, and adapt strategies for healthier digital habits.

The Space Teen Monitor is a collaborative effort between the Center for research on Children, Adolescents and the Media (CcaM), Kinderpostzegels, and KidsRights, under the leadership of Dr. Lise-Marie Nassen. This study is the cornerstone of the broader Space Teen program, ensuring that interventions and design strategies are grounded in robust empirical evidence.

Teenagers navigate both digital and physical spaces daily, and each environment presents unique opportunities and challenges. In Happy Place, we explore what young people need in both realms and investigate the meaning of gathering physically in a world where digital access is omnipresent.

Working closely with teenagers, we co-design so-called ‘Third Places’; spaces where young people can meet, socialize, and form meaningful connections beyond the screen. These new spaces are intentionally designed to restore balance between online and offline life, allowing young people to reclaim control over how and when they engage.Together with teenagers, we rethink how their devices fit into these environments and their social interactions in general.

Many teenagers spend more time scrolling than they intend, trapped by the persuasive mechanics of social media. Features like Infinite Scroll and other dark UX patterns make it hard to disengage. At the same time, social media offers inspiration, creativity, and connection.

Scrollternatives demonstrates that social media can be designed differently. Together with young people, we are creating an alternative platform based on Bright UX Patterns—design features that encourage healthy engagement. The project takes place in close collaboration with PAUZE, a new youth-focused media outlet by Young Media that features content about societal issues, personal growth, and relatable stories.

To create this alternative platform, teenagers participate in a Design Sprint, led by the creative team of TodayTomorrow, stepping into the role of platform designers. They will develop a prototype that shows what social media could look like when young people can define the rules, demonstrating that digital platforms can support wellbeing, agency, and balanced usage.

For children and young adolescents (10–14 years), the allure of online environments can interfere with outdoor play, sports, creativity, and social interaction. Reclaimer helps them build resilience against these digital pressures while inspiring peer support for healthier screen habits.

As teenagers gain their first personal devices, the tension between online engagement and offline activities grows. In Reclaimer, we work with children to develop tools that encourage offline social interaction, fostering positive habits through engaging, playful experiences.

In collaboration with NEMO, educational materials are created to extend the impact to schools and museum visitors.