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We need a better phone for our mental health. Learn more about The Better Phone Project and join our discussion "Attention and finding balance"

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Next event

Role of the fear of missing out (FOMO) & loneliness

Date: Wednesday, November 27th 2024
Time: 5:00 pm - 6:30pm GMT

This session explores the concepts of FOMO - The Fear of Missing Out - and the role of digital technology in experiences of loneliness. Focusing on the pressures of FOMO, and benefits of disconnecting from digital devices and embracing offline moments.

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SPEAKER

Wendy Robinson; Director of Services for suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably

Wendy Robinson is the Director of Services for suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably, where she is responsible for service development and the delivery of CALM’S lifesaving helpline services.

A qualified therapist with a Masters in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and qualifications in play therapy and systemic practice, Wendy has worked in frontline, strategic and leadership roles for a range of charities including the NSPCC, and Childline, where she led a 24/7 helpline operation with a 12-site national workforce of over 400 professional staff & 2000 volunteers.

Wendy has 25 years experience in the field of support services across family support, child protection & safeguarding, mental health and wellbeing, resilience, substance misuse, DVA, suicide intervention and therapeutic practice.

SPEAKER

Michael Barrett, Vice Dean and Professor of Information Systems & Innovation Studies at Cambridge Judge Business School (CJBS)

Michael Barrett is Vice Dean and Professor of Information Systems & Innovation Studies at Cambridge Judge Business School (CJBS). He is also Distinguished Visiting Professor of Innovation at the House of Innovation, Stockholm School of Economics. Michael is Academic Director of Cambridge Digital Innovation and conducts research focus on digital innovation and transformation. Key projects include: trajectories of emerging digital technologies, digital health and new models of healthcare, and how digital innovation is enabling financial and social inclusion in developing countries. Professor Barrett is Editor-in-Chief of Information and Organization and has served as Senior Editor of MIS Quarterly. Michael has served as Vice Dean of Research, Vice Dean of Programmes, and was the founding Head of the Organization Theory and Information Systems group at CJBS.

SPEAKER

Karl Prince - Director of Knowledge Innovation at Cambridge Digital Innovation, Hughes Hall and Cambridge Judge Business School

Karl is the Director of Knowledge Innovation at Cambridge Digital Innovation, Hughes Hall and Cambridge Judge Business School. At CDI he aims to advance research on digital innovation as well as promote the translational impact of such research. His research interests include digital innovation particularly in regard to health care and fintech contexts, broader themes of innovation such as ecosystem development and leadership, and information systems. Karl has previous experience in industry and academic contexts, holding consulting and management positions in the Cambridge cluster and research positions at the University of Cambridge, Warwick Business School and Leeds Business School. Karl is a By-Fellow at Hughes Hall and a Fellow at Cambridge Judge Business School.

Future events

Role of the fear of missing out (FOMO) & loneliness

Date: Wednesday, November 27th 2024
Time: 5:00 pm - 6:30pm GMT

This session explores the concepts of FOMO - The Fear of Missing Out - and the role of digital technology in experiences of loneliness. Focusing on the pressures of FOMO, and benefits of disconnecting from digital devices and embracing offline moments.

Designing the Better Phone: concept & feedback

Date: Wednesday, December 11th 2024
Time: 5:00 pm - 6:30pm GMT

This collaborative session draws together all of the inputs from the previous sessions and HMD will present a first look at what possible solutions could look like.

*Final date and time is still to be confirmed and may be subject to change. Please check back closer to the event dates.

    Previous sessions

    • Session #1

      Effects of social media and smartphone usage

      Learn more
    • Session #2

      Smartphones in schools - should they be allowed?

      Learn more
    • Session #3

      How to deal with peer and social pressure online

      Learn more
    Latest blogs

    We’re creating a better phone – and we need your help

    It’s time to talk about phones, mental health, and what can be done.

    Read blog

    Get involved

    We can't do this alone. We need your help to create new solutions . We will be running a series of surveys and polls as part of this event series and you’re invited to take part!

    We will update this page with additional details about the sessions as they become availabe, so be sure to sign up to make sure you don't miss out!

    Contact information

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    Please fill in the following information to sign up to participate in the Better Phone Project. By signing up you will receive info about upcoming Better Phone Project virtual events, and also receive access to recordings of past events.

    By signing up to the Better Phone Project, I agree to the HMD Global’s Privacy Policy. Any suggestions, feedback, ideas, or other contributions I provide to HMD as part of my participation in The Better Phone Project will become the sole property of HMD. HMD may, but has no obligation to use or implement any such suggestions, feedback, ideas or other contributions you may provide.

    Thank you for joining this global community and welcome to The Better Phone Project.

    To finish up please be sure to check your inbox to confirm your email. Once you’ve confirmed your email you’ll receive email updates from us for The Better Phone Project and be good to go!

    We will be in touch with updates on how you can get involved in sharing your views through surveys and at upcoming virtual events.

    In the meantime, you can watch the recordings from our previous sessions:

    You can also read out latest blog on the project’s vision here.

    We’re excited you’ve joined us. Together we can help people feel better by creating the choice they need to find balance with their phones.