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Croxley Danes Students Join Groundbreaking Mental Health Project

We were recently approached by the University of Hertfordshire with an exciting opportunity for Croxley Danes School to participate in their research study, The BootStRaP Project. This three-year study explores the impact of excessive internet use on the mental health and wellbeing of teenagers. Given the increasing concerns about the link between online activity and declining mental health, we feel privileged to contribute to this important initiative, which aims to help young people establish healthy internet habits before problems arise, while also supporting parents, carers, teachers, and healthcare professionals.

Year 8 students were invited to take on the role of Ambassadors for the project, with Zac J and Neve B being selected due to their strong interest in the study. Croxley Danes is one of just four schools across the UK involved in The BootStRaP Project, and Zac and Neve will be responsible for leading assemblies and promoting the project to their peers, as well as potentially to other schools.

Earlier this month, Zac and Neve, alongside our teacher ambassadors Miss Bhalla and Mr Carnegie, attended the BootStRaP Bootcamp in Porto, Portugal. The event brought together students, teachers, and researchers for two full days of dynamic learning and collaborative activities.

Below, Zac and Neve tell us more about this project and what it involves for students taking part.

‘BootStRaP is a europe-wide research project which aims to discover the potential risks of the internet and how it can affect young people, with the goal to improve the wellbeing of adolescents. 

The internet and social media are becoming a big part of our lives and although there are benefits, there are also negatives. To get involved in this research project, participating students are given the opportunity to join the study for six months by downloading two apps and answering questions at designated points throughout the six month duration about their internet use, mental, and physical health, how they think, and their behaviours. They will also be asked to play some online games through an app called The Dragon Game, which looks at how quickly the user responds to tasks. There’s another app called the BootstrAp, here they will be sent notifications and will be able to view their progress. The app will collect information and data from the student’s phone everyday, which will be used to help with the research. All of this information is extremely confidential and there are government laws to protect the data. The app will be able to see information, such as when phone calls are made and how long they last for, but they will not be able to see who the contact is or hear what was said in the call. They will be able to see which apps the student uses and how long for, but not the content in the app. They won’t know who the data belongs to, and they will not have any information about the person, nor will they be able to identify them. The user can stop using the app at any time during the study if they wish. 

The study is led by professors and researchers at the University of Hertfordshire in the UK, and researchers from 13 other countries. The latest Bootcamp was in Porto, Portugal and was from the 7th-10th of November 2024, attended by ourselves and Croxley Danes teacher ambassadors, Miss Bhalla and Mr Carnegie. During the trip, we helped design and develop the app, and we spoke about our personal experiences using the internet. 

It was so lovely to meet other participants from different countries and also the students from the other schools in the UK that took part. We have formed relationships with many people from all over europe that will not be forgotten. We hope that you consider taking part in the BootStRaP project and getting involved with this fascinating research.’

Neve B and Zac J, Year 8.'

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