42%
Social Skills at Risk
of US teens say smartphones make it harder to learn good social skills
Pew Research Center, 2024
Human Interface Project
Real life.
Not just screen life.
Individualised, non-clinical support for young people and the people around them — before struggles become a crisis.
Technology has transformed the way we communicate, learn, work, play and understand the world around us.
It brings extraordinary possibilities and also raises questions that previous generations never had to answer.
For young people growing up today, there has never been a clear dividing line between digital life and everything else, because it has always been there.
But what happens when the technology designed to connect us begins to displace other forms of connection? When entertainment becomes difficult to switch off? When attention is constantly being competed for? When time spent online starts affecting sleep, education, relationships, interests or simply the ability to be present somewhere else?
The Human Interface Project was created to explore those questions and, more importantly, help develop practical answers.
We believe young people should be able to benefit from technology without it taking up more space in their lives than they want it to.
This isn’t about turning the clock back. It’s about helping a generation growing up with technology develop the knowledge, skills and agency to decide what role they want it to play.
46%
Always Online
of US teens say they are online “almost constantly”
Pew Research Center, 2024
72%
Peace Without the Phone
of US teens feel peaceful when they don’t have their smartphone
Pew Research Center, 2024
26%
AI in the Classroom
of US teens had used ChatGPT for schoolwork in 2024, double the year before
Pew Research Center, 2025
A Generation Navigating
Something Entirely New
Today’s young people are growing up in a world no previous generation has experienced: one in which smartphones, social media and digital platforms are embedded in everyday life from an early age.
Research is examining the relationship between digital media use and sleep, attention, education, mental health, relationships and behaviour. Schools and universities are grappling with questions around devices and learning. Parents are trying to establish boundaries around technologies that did not exist when they were growing up.
Young people themselves are increasingly questioning how much time they spend online and what that time may be replacing.
“ The question isn’t simply “how much screen time is too much?” It’s whether technology is beginning to crowd out other parts of life — sleep, learning, relationships, interests, independence, connection. ”
When that balance begins to shift in a way that isn’t serving our young people, what do we do about it?
Knowing There’s a Problem Isn’t
the Same as Knowing What to Do
Awareness of problematic digital use is growing quickly.
There are countless books, documentaries, campaigns, parental controls, screen-time limits and articles telling families how much technology is too much.
At the more serious end of the spectrum, specialist clinical services exist for people experiencing significant behavioral or mental health difficulties.
But what about the young person who sits somewhere in between? Their relationship with technology is beginning to affect everyday life, but their needs don’t warrant clinical treatment. This is where meaningful support can be much harder to find.
For Young People
What happens when a young person knows something isn’t quite working, but doesn’t need more information or screen-time limits?
For Parents
Where does a parent go when screen use is creating conflict at home, affecting sleep or beginning to displace other parts of their child’s life?
For Educators
What can an educator do when the effects of digital behaviour begin appearing in classrooms and campuses?
“ Perhaps most importantly, what could we do earlier? ”
The Human Interface Project was created around the belief that there is room for a more accessible, evidence-informed response. One that looks beyond time spent online to understand the behaviour, what may be driving it and how it is affecting the individual. The aim is to give young people greater understanding and agency over the role technology plays in their lives, and to offer support before difficulties become crises.
See how we helpTechnology Isn’t the Enemy
The Human Interface Project is not an anti-technology movement, and complete abstinence just isn’t a realistic or desirable answer for most people living in a digital world.
Connects people across continents
Provides access to education
Creates communities
Enables creativity
Puts extraordinary tools into the hands of young people
How do we build a healthy relationship with technology when that technology is designed to capture and retain our attention?
We believe there is a better way to approach this. It starts with understanding how technology competes for our attention, what drives our behaviour and how that relationship affects the individual. The answer goes beyond simply telling someone to put their phone down. We need to examine the evidence and develop practical strategies to help young people make informed choices about the role technology plays in their lives.
Most importantly, we need to remember what technology is ultimately supposed to serve: real life.
There’s A Lot of Life Out There
We don’t believe HIP should define what a fulfilling life looks like for somebody else. There is no prescribed list of hobbies to take up or number of hours someone should spend outdoors.
The point is choice.
Friendships. Music. Sport. Art. Study. Work. Travel. Conversation. Creativity. Movement. Curiosity.
Things to make. Places to go. People to meet.
New experiences and skills to learn and occasionally be spectacularly bad at.
Time spent doing something for no reason other than it’s fun.
Even boredom has a place.
When someone has greater agency over their attention, they have more freedom to decide where that attention goes.
That is the idea behind Real life. Not just screen life.
70%+
of US workers say interpersonal skills, communication and critical thinking are more important for success at work than AI skills.
Pew Research Center, 2025
Turning Understanding Into Action
Our work is built around three core pillars that together bridge the gap between awareness and meaningful change.
Education and Understanding
Better decisions begin with better information. HIP translates emerging research around technology, behaviour and attention into information young people, families and educators can actually use — moving beyond simplistic messages about whether screens are good or bad.
Earlier Support
Problems are easier to address when we don’t wait for them to become crises. HIP explores and develops accessible interventions for young people whose relationship with technology is beginning to interfere with other areas of life.
Evidence and Research
The field is evolving rapidly, and HIP evolves with it. Our approach is informed by research, real-world experience and evaluation. As interventions are developed, we want to understand what works, what doesn’t, for whom and why.
Why The Human Interface Project?
Dr. Mark Payne is the founder of The Human Interface Project. A decade in the classroom, at both high school and university level, taught him how much a young person’s environment shapes their outcomes.
His subsequent years as an addiction recovery coach and case manager showed him what happens when that environment fails — particularly around compulsive screen use and its downstream effects on mental health.
HIP exists to intervene earlier: giving young people and families direct, practical support before crisis takes hold. Mark leads HIP’s fundraising, partnerships, and public voice, drawing on a referral network built over years of work inside the recovery and behavioural health world.
“ Technology will continue to change. Platforms will change. Devices will change. But the human being on the other side of the interface remains the reason any of it matters. ”
Start a Conversation
Whether you’re interested in research, education, collaboration, funding or the wider work of The Human Interface Project, we’d like to hear from you.
- Researchers and academics
- Schools and educational institutions
- Practitioners working with young people
- Philanthropic and funding partners