Mercor is recruiting participants for the Youth Well-being Project, a research study led by Stanford University in collaboration with Bocconi University, focused on how smartphones and digital tools affect children and families.
📋 Applications are open now. We're accepting applications at this stage to finalize and confirm participants for the upcoming batch, which begins in January. Apply now to lock in your spot — selected applicants will have their place confirmed ahead of the January start.
✅ Who can take part — please read carefully
- You are a parent/guardian based in the United States
- You have a child aged 9–13
- Your child has their own smartphone with an active SIM card (a working phone number). This is required — the study involves installing an app on the child's phone, so a tablet, Wi‑Fi‑only device, or a phone without a SIM will not qualify.
- You and your child are willing to take part together
You can pick one child to take part with you — one child per household.
What you'll be asked to do
- Complete a few short online surveys plus occasional text-message check-ins across the study
- Install a parental-control app on your child's phone and keep it installed for the study period
- Your child completes two short online surveys and a few text-message check-ins
Engagement details
- Start: January (applications are being finalized now)
- Format: Remote — online surveys + short text-message check-ins
- Time commitment: The study runs over ~8 weeks. Active time is light — the surveys are short and the app simply stays installed on your child's phone during that period, with a few quick check-ins along the way
- Compensation: A flat fee of $110, paid once on completion
- Participation: One child per household
Why participate
- Contribute to Stanford + Bocconi research on children's well-being in the digital age
- Help parents make more informed decisions about technology
- Flexible, remote participation