Key topic: Wellbeing

The key topic digital technologies and adolescents' well-being addresses the following:

Why pay attention to the impact of digital technologies on the wellbeing of adolescents?
Well-being and mental health: What is the difference?
How are digital technologies and wellbeing and mental health connected?
What valuable tips are there for educators and schools?

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This resource is based on the CO:RE Short Report "Effects of digital technology on adolescents’ well-being: The integrative model (iMEW)" by Hayriye Gulec, Adéla Lokajová and David Smahel [6] and the book “Digital Media and Child and Adolescent Mental Health” by O’Reilly et al. (2021) [7].

Why pay attention to the impact of digital technologies on the well-being of adolescents?

Digital technology is an umbrella term that encompasses various devices, services, and types of use. Children and young people growing up in the digital age spend plenty of time online, especially on mobile devices [1, 2]. They use digital technologies for different activities; they communicate online, they search for information, or they entertain themselves by playing videogames [3]. Digital technologies can also help them to fulfil developmental tasks that are related to adolescence, for example, keeping in touch with friends, nurturing meaningful relationships, learning about sexuality and intimacy, or forming one’s identity.

However, children and young people can also experience problematic online situations such as exposure to aggressive or inappropriate content, hate speech, cyberbullying, or unwanted sexual requests [4]. The question is often raised if certain online experiences affect young people’s well-being [5].In this section, based on the Short Report by Gulec, Lokajova and Smahel [6] and the book “Digital Media and Child and Adolescent Mental Health” by O’Reilly et al. (2021) [7], we present and reflect on recent research evidence that highlights the complex relationships between digital technology use by children and young people and their wellbeing.