What it

In recent years, teenagers have increasingly turned to social media platforms and AI tools for guidance around mental health, self-understanding, and personal issues. Algorithm-driven platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and AI chatbots actively shape how young people interpret their emotions and experiences, often encouraging self-diagnosis without professional context. While these platforms offer accessibility and validation, they also operate under business models that prioritise engagement and data extraction over user well-being. This creates a hidden tension between support and exploitation, raising critical questions about trust, influence, and the long-term impact of digital systems on adolescent mental health.

What If is an educational ecosystem that helps teenagers understand how digital platforms and tech companies influence their behaviour through hidden systems such as algorithms, data collection, and profit-driven business models. Rather than attempting to “fix” teen self-diagnosis or persuade users to leave existing platforms, the project aims to build critical awareness, encourage reflection, and demand change on the structures shaping their digital lives.

The design takes the form of a web-based experience supported by physical discussion cards. The digital platform follows a clear narrative flow of introduce, educate, and act. First, a homepage contextualises the issue in accessible language for teens, teachers, and parents. From there, users engage with two interactive mini-games designed to break down complex systems into understandable scenarios.

The first mini-game places users in the role of tech company decision-makers, displaying how profit-driven goals conflict with user well-being. Through simple card-based interactions, players see how design decisions (such as endless scrolling or engagement optimization) benefit companies while extracting time, attention, and emotional resources from teen users. This role reversal encourages perspective-taking and helps teens understand that harmful outcomes are often the result of intentional design choices rather than individual failure.

The second mini-game presents a click-through scenario that illustrates the long-term consequences of unchecked data collection. By showing how personal data can be combined, inferred, and used for targeted manipulation, the game makes abstract privacy risks more tangible and personally relevant.

Recognising that awareness alone is insufficient, the experience concludes with a “Make a Change” page. This section connects teens to youth organisations, policy initiatives, and regulators involved in technology governance, particularly within a European context. The aim is to transform critical reflection into a sense of agency rather than fear or helplessness.

Our design process included user research, exploration, prototyping, and user testing. We interviewed and tested teenagers at the International School of Haarlem finding out they had gaps in this digital knowledge and were most engaged by learning in a game format. We also learned they were not likely to abandon these platforms and that is why we focused on teaching the systems rather than creation of new apps. We first debated a digital or physical format but went with digital because it is what our target group is used to and allows for easy shareability.

The online format also offered greater flexibility and scalability, enabling us to structure the experience as an educational ecosystem rather than a single isolated game. Physical discussion cards were retained to support in-person conversation and reflection, the digital platform became the core of the project, allowing us to communicate complex systems in an accessible, engaging, and contextually relevant way for our target audience.

What If works as a hypothetical non-profit that can be brought into classrooms, workshops, or youth organisations, encouraging discussion rather than prescribing behaviour. Future developments could include more advanced game mechanics, additional scenarios reflecting emerging technologies, and localisation for different cultural or regulatory contexts. With further collaboration between designers, educators, and developers, the platform could expand beyond a prototype into a scalable learning resource that empowers teens to critically engage with digital systems shaping their lives.