Youth enter digital platforms seeking connection, identity, and validation, yet algorithm-driven systems transform these needs into points of exploitation. Features such as personalized feeds, infinite scroll, and reward-based interaction loops reinforce compulsive use, emotional dysregulation, and attention fragmentation. While these impacts are often framed as personal failures of self-regulation, the root causes lie upstream in platform design choices and corporate incentives. This project reframes youth digital wellbeing as a systemic issue rather than an individual one.

To ground my analysis, I conducted an extensive literature review across psychology, digital wellbeing, policy, and design ethics, supported by subject matter expert interviews and reflective fieldwork. I examined how attention economies, algorithmic reward systems, and social comparison dynamics interact with adolescent developmental vulnerabilities. A positionality statement guided my approach, acknowledging how my background as a Gen Z information design student shaped both my perspective and ethical responsibilities when analyzing youth-focused systems.

I translated my research into a series of interconnected system maps designed to explain complexity without overwhelming the viewer. Each map served a distinct purpose while contributing to a cohesive narrative about how harm is produced and sustained.

This work culminated in a public-facing mapping showcase that combined printed system maps, a digital interactive interface, and a physical research dossier. The exhibit was designed to support multiple levels of engagement, from quick visual entry points to deeper exploratory interactions. By allowing viewers to navigate connections themselves, the showcase encouraged active sense-making rather than passive consumption.