Participation in the MYTH Youth Collaborative is completely voluntary, and members may choose to stop participating at any time, for any reason. To protect participants' privacy and wellbeing, MYTH Youth Collaborative members are never asked to discuss their own use of nicotine or tobacco products, or any other personal health behaviors.

As researchers, we recognize that we each carry our own biases, backgrounds, and life experiences that shape how we understand the world — including how we think about nicotine and tobacco use, social media, and youth culture. We respect the lived experiences, knowledge, and insight that our youth collaborators bring to this research, and we see them as experts in their own right — particularly when it comes to understanding the social media spaces they navigate every day.

To ensure this work is conducted safely, ethically, and responsibly, all members of our research team complete Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) research certifications, along with any additional clearances required to work with youth participants. This training helps us remain accountable to the young people we work with and to the broader ethical standards guiding our research.

Because MYTH Youth Collaborative members are under the age of 18, we follow a two-part process to ensure everyone understands and agrees to participate: we obtain informed consent from parents/guardians and informed assent from youth participants themselves.

As valued members of our research team, MYTH Youth Collaborative members are compensated after completing each Zoom session.

If you're interested in becoming part of the MYTH Youth Collaborative, please scan the QR code, or hit the “Join MYTH” button below