What the participation involves
This is a research study, not an annotation or model-evaluation contract. As the enrolled parent, you complete a set of online surveys about your child, your household's technology rules, and your own screen habits, then respond to occasional short text-message questions during the study window. You also install a parental-control app on your child's phone so the research team can collect device-usage measures rather than relying only on self-report. Your child — one child per household, aged 9 to 13 — completes two short online surveys and a few text-message check-ins about how they are feeling.
Total survey time is roughly one hour spread across the study period. The text-message check-ins are brief and asynchronous; you answer when you see them. Compensation is an observed flat fee of $120, paid once after the study is completed. Partial completion typically does not qualify, so the practical question is whether you and your child can realistically stay engaged through the full window.
What the screening looks for
- Confirmation that you are a parent or legal guardian in the United States with a child in the 9–13 range
- That the child owns their own smartphone, not a shared family device
- Genuine willingness — from both of you — to install and leave the parental-control app in place for the duration
- Understanding that the child is a co-participant, so their assent matters as much as your consent
- Availability to respond to short check-ins over a period of weeks, not a single sitting
Expect follow-up questions on the app installation step in particular; it is where most enrolled households drop out.
Logistics
Fully remote and US-only. No calls, no scheduled sessions, no prior research experience needed. Enrollment is starting soon and is limited to one child per household. Screening is conducted through Mercor's AI-led intake; answer plainly and specifically about your household setup rather than trying to fit an ideal profile.