Stanford Youth Study — US Parents & Kids (Age 9–13)

Mercor is recruiting participants for the Youth Well-being Project, a research study led by Stanford University in collaboration with Bocconi University, focused on how smartphones and digital tools affect children and families.

The study begins October 1, 2026 — apply now to take part. We're enrolling parents in the United States who have a child aged 9–13 with their own smartphone. You can pick one child to take part with you.

What you'll be asked to do

• Complete a few short online surveys plus occasional text-message check-ins, spread across the study

• Install a parental-control app on your child's phone and keep it installed for the duration of the study

• Your child completes two short online surveys and a few text-message check-ins

Requirements

• Based in the United States

• Parent/guardian of a child aged 9–13 who has their own smartphone

• Willing to install a parental-control app on the child's phone

• You and your child are willing to take part together

Engagement details

• Start: October 1, 2026

• Format: Remote — online surveys + short text-message check-ins

• Time commitment: The study runs over several weeks. Active time is light — the surveys are short and the app simply stays installed on your child's phone during that period, with a few quick check-ins along the way

• Compensation: A flat fee, paid once on completion

• Participation: One child per household

Why participate

• Contribute to Stanford + Bocconi research on children's well-being in the digital age

• Help parents make more informed decisions about technology

• Flexible, remote participation

We consider all qualified applicants without regard to legally protected characteristics and provide reasonable accommodations upon request.

Contract and Payment Terms

• You will be engaged as an independent contractor.
• This is a fully remote role that can be completed on your own schedule.
• Projects can be extended, shortened, or concluded early depending on needs and performance.
• Your work at Mercor will not involve access to confidential or proprietary information from any employer, client, or institution.
• Payments are weekly on Stripe or Wise based on services rendered.
• Please note: We are unable to support H1-B or STEM OPT candidates at this time.

About Mercor

Mercor partners with leading AI labs and enterprises to train frontier models using human expertise. You will work on projects that focus on training and enhancing AI systems. You will be paid competitively, collaborate with leading researchers, and help shape the next generation of AI systems in your area of expertise.