Arts-inspired co-design of civic tech for youth mental health policies
New open access article in Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies. Publication as second author of Enric Senabre Hidalgo (Ramón y Cajal researcher at FIMA).
Abstract
Public participation, whether digital or face-to-face, is often adult and disability focused, and often universalizes the participation experience of a narrow demographic (white, older, and middle class). At Mindset Revolution, we combine artistic and creative methods with civic technology to co-design participatory spaces with a diverse group of young people to discuss and influence mental health policy and practice.
The paper examines the digital element of the project, in which young people, supported by a team of academics and digital designers, used the Decidim civic technology platform to interact with peers and policymakers. This co-design work helped guide changes to the platform towards more accessible and responsive participation at the margins that can better support the active participation of traditionally excluded groups.
Young people evaluated their own participation and social impact, challenging assumptions about youth participation. The flexibility offered by the digital platform was crucial to sustain engagement. However, while often labeled as digital natives, the youth we worked with perceived digital participation as an enabler, but not central to their work for social change.
Follow-up work on the platform is shaping it as a space for collective oversight, with opportunities for open-ended dialogue between young people, the community and policymakers to identify and navigate barriers to implementation of young people’s proposals.
Bussu, S., Senabre Hidalgo, E., Schulbaum, O., & Eve, Z. (2024). Make (digital) space for and with the young: Arts-inspired co-design of civic tech for youth mental health policies. Convergence, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/13548565241264001
