Technology Addiction Awareness Scholarship
Scholarship Sponsored by Digital Responsibility
Overview
This scholarship encourages awareness of the negative effects of excessive screen time and promotes healthy breaks from technology. Research from the Kaiser Family Foundation reports that young people spend an average of 7.5 hours per day consuming media, not including school-related computer use. The award aims to motivate students to reflect on technology use and communicate concise, thoughtful perspectives about technology addiction. Additional resources about technology addiction are recommended for applicants who want to deepen their understanding.
Description: A scholarship intended to raise awareness about the mental and physical impacts of excessive screen time by inviting short, creative submissions and longer reflective essays from student applicants.
- Focuses on understanding and communicating harms of excessive screen time.
- Based on concise and longer-form written responses.
- Encourages informed reflection using reputable resources.
Eligibility
The award is open to students at multiple educational levels, including high school and college, as well as graduate students and home-schooled applicants. There is no age limit for applicants. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. The broad eligibility is intended to include a wide range of student voices and experiences.
Eligibility: Open to high school freshmen through seniors, current or entering college or graduate students of any level, and home-schooled students; U.S. citizen or legal resident status required.
- Includes high school, college, graduate, and home-schooled students.
- No age restriction.
- U.S. citizenship or legal resident status required.
How to apply
Applicants must submit an application form that includes a 140-character message about technology addiction. From those submissions, the organizers will select the top 10 entries as finalists. Finalists will then be invited to submit a full-length essay between 500 and 1,000 words expanding on their original message. Specific submission instructions, deadlines, and delivery methods should be confirmed on the program’s official application page.
Application Timeline: Initial submissions (with a 140-character message) are reviewed to identify the top 10 finalists; finalists are asked to submit a 500–1,000-word essay for final evaluation.
- Start with a concise 140-character message.
- Top 10 finalists invited to submit a longer essay.
- Check official program materials for deadlines and submission details.
Selection process
Selection begins by evaluating the content of the 140-character submissions to determine the top 10 finalists. The final winner is chosen based on the content and creativity of the 500- to 1,000-word essay submitted by finalists. Judging emphasizes clarity of thought, insight into technology addiction, and originality in approach. Final decisions rest with the program’s selection committee.
Selection: Finalists are chosen from the short submissions; the winner is selected from finalists based on essay content and creativity.
- Initial screening based on the 140-character message.
- Winner chosen for essay quality, substance, and creativity.
- Decisions made by the program’s selection committee.