Sparks Toolkit

With the rise of AI, the next generation’s world of relationships is getting a lot more complicated. This toolkit is here to help young people (and the adults who support them) navigate this future with discernment and agency. 

Why now?

Generative AI is reshaping how we live, learn, and connect. While headlines focus on its impact on jobs and education, one critical dimension is often left out: AI’s influence on our relationships.

We’ve been here before.

Two decades after the rise of social media, we’re only beginning to understand its effects on mental health and social connection. But today’s stakes are even higher. Young people are coming of age in a time of record loneliness, growing mental health challenges, and constant digital immersion. And they’re diving headfirst into AI.

72% of teens say they’ve used AI for companionship. Over half do so daily.

They’re not asking adults to gate-keep this technology. They’re asking us to explore it alongside them and to create space for honest, interesting, judgment-free conversations about its benefits and risks.  

That’s where our SPARKS tools come in.

  • "This makes me want to use tech differently. It makes me wonder what I can do with the elders in my life to stay better connected with them.”

    - Matthew (age 16)

  • “This was the first time I got to argue about tech in a way that wasn’t just ‘phones are bad.”

    - Ronald (age 16)

  • “I never thought I could actually decide what tech should be like - this felt like we were inventing the future.”

    - Latoya (age 18)

Who is this for?

Developed with young people and educators, the SPARKS Toolkit offers bite-sized activities that explore how AI is shaping human connection. Methods range from card games that explore AI's impact on social ties, to role playing scenarios that help look more closely at the incentives behind tech companies' decisions.

But these aren’t just fun activities—they’re doorways to deeper conversations about how we relate to technology, each other, and ourselves.

The SPARKS are designed for 13-22 year olds, the first generation of AI natives. The supporting materials have been tailored for those who are designing and facilitating spaces for this audience. That said, we have seen just as powerful examples of using the activities amongst adults and outside of school contexts. 

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