About the Digital Kaleidoscope
We are a research group at the Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London, studying how digital technology shapes the wellbeing of (young) people.
Digital technologies like video games, social media, streaming platforms are inextricable from young lives. However, we due to challenges accessing the right kind of data, and limitations in the kinds of methods researchers have been using, we still know surprisingly little about how technology affect how young people feel, think, and develop.
We take a different approach. Using behavioural data collected directly from devices across multiple platforms, alongside short, frequent surveys with participants, we study the specific features of digital experiences - what they’re doing, with whom, and in what context. We combine these data with rigorous causal modelling and open science practices to produce findings that are transparent and actionable.
Why “Kaleidoscope”?
A kaleidoscope is characterized by distinct fragments forming into patterns. Our digital lives can feel similarly fragmented across apps, platforms, and devices. Our research focuses on that complexity. By bringing together detailed behavioural data from across a person’s varied online experiences, we look for the patterns in the fragments: what combinations of activities, contexts, and needs matter most for wellbeing.
Principal Investigator
Dr Nick Ballou is a Research Fellow at the Imperial College School of Design Engineering. He completed his PhD at Queen Mary University of London and postdoctoral research at the Oxford Internet Institute, where he worked with some of the world’s largest game companies to study how games affect player wellbeing. His work sits at the intersection of psychology, behavioural data science, and human-computer interaction, and he is an active advocate for open and reproducible research practices.
Funding
We are gratefully supported by an Imperial College Research Fellowship and a Huo Family Foundation Early Career Fellowship.