Social interaction and gamification with youth at risk of social exclusion: The technological approach of the Keystone project

Abstract

This paper presents the Keystone project, which proposes a multidisciplinary approach to improve the opportunities of young people at risk of social exclusion. The focus of the paper is the technological approach built from the results of research using lifeworld analysis to identify the barriers and drivers to youth participation. This technological approach combines on the one hand, the KEY Tool, a simplified goal-oriented social network to share and interact with local and international peers; on the other hand, the KEY game, a false instant-messaging application based on a voodoo story, where the user has a key role. Several pilot groups worked under the programme implemented in the Keystone project, including working with those digital tools. Results show important benefits for participating young people in areas such as respect, digital literacy and multi-cultural abilities, and highlight several opportunities to take further advantage of these tools.