Key areas of children’s digital lives: Health and wellbeing

This section addresses theories and concepts for analysing the relation between children’s health and wellbeing and the use of digital technology. This encompasses:

Digital wellbeing and health
Mental ill-health and anxiety
Resilience and coping
Vulnerability

It offers resources (key readings, webinars, expert interviews, blogs) that can help you understand better this area of children's digital lives.

Resources related to this area

Theories: health and wellbeing : Health and wellbeing - a guided reading list with key texts

Theories webinar series : Understanding children’s wellbeing in a digital world

4 Cs of online risk: Short report & blog on updating the typology of online risks to include content, contact, conduct, contract risks

CO:RE Short Report on Key Topics : 4 Cs of online risk: Short report & blog on updating the typology of online risks to include content, contact, conduct, contract risks

Theories : David Finkelhor on using evidence to disarm alarmist misconceptions about child online victimisation

Theories : Elisabeth Staksrud on children’s agency and the shift to prioritise children’s rights

Theories : Talking theory to stakeholders: the challenge of changing the public discourse

Theories : On the concepts we use and what theory is good for

Theories webinar series : The impact of digital experiences on young people with mental health vulnerabilities

CO:RE resources

The changing role of digital learning environments during/after the COVID-19 pandemic– on resilience and online learning (by Jussi Okkonen) The changing role of digital learning environments during/after the COVID-19 pandemic– on resilience and online learning (by Jussi Okkonen)

External resources

The impact of digital experiences on adolescents with mental health vulnerabilities: a multimethod pilot study – on the role of digital technologies for adolescents with mental health difficulties (by Mariya Stoilova, Christopher Edwards, Kasia Kostyrka-Allchorne, Sonia Livingstone and Edmund Sonuga-Barke) The impact of digital experiences on adolescents with mental health vulnerabilities: a multimethod pilot study – on the role of digital technologies for adolescents with mental health difficulties (by Mariya Stoilova, Christopher Edwards, Kasia Kostyrka-Allchorne, Sonia Livingstone and Edmund Sonuga-Barke)
Editorial: The role of digital technology in children and young people’s mental health – a triple-edged sword? – on the lack of synergy between theorising the digital environment and mental health (by Chris Hollis, Sonia Livingstone, Edmund Sonuga-Barke) Editorial: The role of digital technology in children and young people’s mental health – a triple-edged sword? – on the lack of synergy between theorising the digital environment and mental health (by Chris Hollis, Sonia Livingstone, Edmund Sonuga-Barke)
Simply psychology – an open-access resource with detailed overviews of key theories and thinkers in psychology and related sub-disciplines, including child development, social psychology, criminology, cognitive psychology, and learning theories Simply psychology – an open-access resource with detailed overviews of key theories and thinkers in psychology and related sub-disciplines, including child development, social psychology, criminology, cognitive psychology, and learning theories
Oxford bibliographies – an open-access resource with short introductions and reading lists on key concepts and theories in a number of disciplines, including media and communication, sociology, psychology, childhood studies, critical theory, education, criminology Oxford bibliographies – an open-access resource with short introductions and reading lists on key concepts and theories in a number of disciplines, including media and communication, sociology, psychology, childhood studies, critical theory, education, criminology
Wiktionary: a multilingual dictionary (by Wikimedia) Wiktionary: a multilingual dictionary (by Wikimedia)
MDN Web Docs Glossary: Definitions of Web-related terms (by Mozilla) MDN Web Docs Glossary: Definitions of Web-related terms (by Mozilla)
A list of encyclopaedias: a collation of encyclopaedia links (by RefSeek) A list of encyclopaedias: a collation of encyclopaedia links (by RefSeek)

Key areas of children’s internet use

Children and young people

The child, children and young people
Development and evolving capacity
Structures and cultures of childhood
Diversity and difference

Digital environment

Technology and affordances
Uses, users and domestication
Normative values in design
Innovation and datafication

Access

Place and time of access
In/equality and in/exclusions
Fixed and mobile access, wearable technologies
Transcending on/offline

Opportunities and benefits

Internet engagement
Participation and activism
Information and exploration
Play, creativity, fun

Skills and literacies

Learning and information skills
Digital skills and competencies
Data literacy and e-safety
Civic and other literacies

Risk and harm

Content, contact, conduct, contract risks
Familiar and emerging risks
Cross-cutting risks, including privacy
Relation between risk and harm

Health and wellbeing

Digital wellbeing and health
Mental ill-health and anxiety
Resilience and coping
Vulnerability

Social support

Parental mediation
Socialisation, family and school
Sociality and peer support
Professional help services

Policy and regulation

Children’s rights in the digital age
Law, policy and regulation
Agency, voice and activism
Responses to emerging challenges

What are you looking for?

Key areas of children’s digital lives: Health and wellbeing

CO:RE resources

External resources

Understanding theory

How to work with theory

Applying theory in practice

Health and wellbeing

Blogs

Reading lists

Reports

Vlogs

Webinars

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