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Due to the increased prevalence of cyberbullying and the detrimental impact it can have on adolescents, there is a critical need for tools to help combat cyberbullying. This paper introduces the ActionPoint app, a mobile application based on empirical work highlighting the importance of strong parent-teen relationships for reducing cyberbullying risk. The app is designed to help families improve their communication skills, set healthy boundaries for social media use, identify instances of cyberbullying and cyberbullying risk, and, ultimately, decrease the negative outcomes associated with cyberbullying. The app guides parents and teens through a series of interactive modules that engage them in evidence-based activities that promote better understanding of cyberbullying risks and healthy online behaviors. In this paper, we describe the app design, the psychology research supporting the design of each module, the architecture and implementation details, and crucial paths to extend the app.
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Social Media Co-pilot: Designing a chatbot with teens and educators to combat cyberbullying
Teens often encounter cyberbullying on social media. One promising way to reduce cyberbullying is through empowering teens to stand up for their peers and cultivating prosocial norms online. While there is no shortage of bystander interventions that have shown potential, little research has explored designing chatbots with users to provide a contextualized and embedded “learning at the moment” experience for bystanders. This study involved teens and educators in two design sessions: an in-depth interview to identify the barriers that prevent upstanding behaviors, and interaction with the “social media co-pilot'' chatbot prototype to identify design guidelines to empower teens to overcome these barriers. Qualitative analysis on the conversations from the two design sessions revealed three factors that curb teens' upstanding behaviors: a) inadequate knowledge about social norms, appropriate language, and consequences, b) inhibitive emotions such as fear of retaliation and confrontation; c) lack of empathy toward their peers. Key parameters were also identified to shape chatbot responses to encourage upstanding behaviors, such as a) adopting voices representing multiple roles, b) empathetic, friendly and encouraging tone, c) reflective, specific and relatable language and d) appropriate length. These insights inform the design of personalized and scalable education programs and moderation tools to combat cyberbullying.
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- PAR ID:
- 10540398
- Publisher / Repository:
- Elsevier
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction
- Volume:
- 41
- Issue:
- C
- ISSN:
- 2212-8689
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 100680
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100680
