S2 Ep06 Can Teenagers Control Their Technology Use?

Teenagers' self-control in using technology is a contentious issue, with a tug-of-war brewing among the teenagers, parents, schools, regulators and technology companies. Research by Aaron Zhu (National University of Singapore) and Cui Shenglan (Hunan University) highlighted how teenagers want to have agency and autonomy in their technology usage, and how they share information to bypass controls. In our podcast episode "Can Teenagers Control Their Technology Use?", Aaron and Shenglan shared how the whole process is a relational practice, and that top-down controls may not be the best method. This finding especially bears relevance in the Asian context, where stricter family hierarchies and rules are commonly in place. Together with Janghee Cho (National University of Singapore), the team won the Excellence Award in the Poster Category of the 2025 Tencent-CGS Academic Conference "Technology for Good: Driving Social Impact". Tune in to the podcast series "Technology for Good", brought to you by NUS Centre for Governance and Sustainability.