A research project funded by the Wellcome Trust, led by the University of Bath, University of Salford, and University of Canberra. Exploring how young people engage with digital health platforms.

1. #DigitalHealthGen
The impact of ‘healthy lifestyle’ technologies on young
people's learning, identities, and health practices
House of Commons, 16 May, 2018

2. OUR TEAM
University of Bath
University of Salford
University of Canberra

3. Our
Research:
3 Phases
1: Survey assessment of digital
health engagement (1,000+
11-18 year olds)
Focus on ‘healthy lifestyles’
rather than medical conditions.

4. Our
Research:
3 Phases
2: Interviews and focus groups (13-18))
Understand how young people discover,
select, adopt, share, employ, resist or
reject digital health information.
Examine how actors and agencies
(official and commercial) guide and
push young people towards digital
health

5. Our
Research:
3 Phases
3: In depth ’mobile’ case studies
with 7 families
Explore how social contexts shape
digital health technology engagement
and identify related inequalities and
disparities of its use

6. 75%
of young
people owned
their first
mobile/tablet
between 8-11
years old
55%
use their
mobile
phone to
learn
about
health
52%
use apps to
track diet,
fitness
and/or
health

7. Instagram and Snapchat
are the most popular
platforms
top site to help them
understand health
better (44%)

8. Willing
to
share
data
with
Parents (64%)
Health
professionals (35%)
Friends (33%)

9. OPPORTUNITIES?
to self measure, monitor and
regulate their bodies,
behaviours, and lives including
sleep, calorie intake,
exercise/physical activity, mood,
heart rate and sleep patterns and
quality.
Engagement with inappropriate
content (eg. unrealistic nature of
images. Some are actively engaged
with and influenced by images and
hashtags e.g. #fitspiration
Negative relationships with
food/body/self
Development of obsessive habits.
RISKS?

10. CRITICAL
CONCERNS
Awareness of commercial
influence online
e.g. social media adverts.
Understanding of
security/privacy/third party
is very limited

11. CRITICAL
CONCERNS
Too many apps and decision
making
Minimal ‘guidance’ about
use: 61% reported they ‘do
what they like’ in terms of
online access to digital
health information

12. CRITICAL
CONCERNS
Credibility / reliability
45% reported they worried
about incorrect information
online.
Mechanisms to gauge this
vary from number of likes,
reviews, if it is ‘high’ on
search returns
NHS - endorsement gives
credibility / NHS Logo as a
way of verifying trust

13. CRITICAL
CONCERNS
Peer Influence
significant in terms of
recommendations of who or
what to follow online (e.g.
YouTube) and likes/follows

14. CRITICAL
CONCERNS
Short termism
Young people change apps
and wearables quickly

15. CRITICAL
CONCERNS
Artificial Intelligence
dehumanizing healthcare
Perceived as appealing
(anonymity, text based) but a
barrier too (need for face to
face, concerns about
reliability)

16. CRITICAL
CONCERNS
Differentiation across policy
guidelines
There is considerable varied
engagement with technology
and digital literacy amongst
young people

17. CRITICAL
CONCERNS
Feeling too controlled
Concerns about
apps/devices being pushed
onto them (encouraged to
use digital technology for
health and fitness)

18. CRITICAL
CONCERNS
Unpredictability of use
– e.g. mental health apps and
self-diagnosis social capital
of ‘mental illhealth’

19. POLICY
IMPLICATIONS
Young people are not
necessarily digital natives
There are varied forms of
literacy/understanding/
opportunities and a better
understanding of
inequalities is needed

20. POLICY
IMPLICATIONS
Future proofing policy
the need for upstream
engagement

21. POLICY
IMPLICATIONS
Planned obsolescence in tech
industry
Technology is designed to
be short-term use

22. POLICY
IMPLICATIONS
Commercialisation and big
data
– Developing big data
literacy

23. POLICY
IMPLICATIONS
Data Literacy
Loss of comprehension
around how data is shared

24. POLICY
IMPLICATIONS
Engagement through schools
Defensive approach digital
life of children

25. NEXT STEPS
Research & Engagements
Next phase of research
App Store in Hospitals
After school Digital Health
Clubs