The achievement of Agenda 2030 for sustainable development with its 17 interrelated goals is strongly related to the development of social and individual health and wellbeing. In the WHO Global Framework for Well-Being and Health Promotion it is expressed as “… positive vision of health that integrates physical, mental, psychological, emotional, spiritual and social well-beings” (WHO 2022:5).   

A key factor for sustainable development is the promotion of children’s and young persons’ wellbeing conceived as a “…dynamic state in which children and young people are able to develop their potential, learn and play creatively and productively, build positive relationships with others, and belong to and contribute to their community” (Cefai et al. 2021:21)

Despite political awareness of how digital transformation relates to mental health and wellbeing, negative use of digital technology still risks having long-lasting negative effects on children’s academic achievement and mental health (WHO 2022, Schleicher 2022)

In order to take advantage of the positive consequences of this digital transformation as well as to prevent and combat its negative risks in children’s and young people’s well-being, it is necessary to developed pedagogical measures “to ensure learners’ physical, psychological and social well-being while using digital technologies.” (DigCompEdu 2022 ) . This is an area where research has increased, and different conceptions of digital well-being has emerged (Dennis, 2021; Gudka et al, 2023; Gui et al, 2017; Smits et al, 2022; Roffarello et al, 2023). Reseach into digital well-being in an educational context is scarce (cf. Cao & Li, 2023) and evidence-based measures to enhance digital well-being is limited.

In the light of this context, this research workshop aims to discuss scientific knowledge on digital wellbeing with a focus on educational research, policies and school practices for developing frameworks and strategies to address digital wellbeing in school contexts.   

This discussion will concern the following research questions:

• How is digital wellbeing defined in a Swedish and international research educational context?
• How is digital wellbeing characterized in Swedish and EU-policies in the educational area over time?
• How is digital wellbeing understood in a school context by students, school staff and parents/caregivers?
• Which similarities and differences are found between these different actors’ perspectives on digital wellbeing?
• Which are the implications of these similarities and differences for the development of digital wellbeing in different school contexts?

The research workshop depart from a socioecological framework (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). It makes possible to understand the interconnection of different systems influencing human development: The microsystem, which relates to the immediate environment. The mesosystem, which relates to the interconnections between different parts of the microsystems. The exosystem, which relates to external environment that only indirectly affects an individual. The macrosystem, which relates to broader cultural and societal values. The discussion will concern two substudies: Substudy 1 focuses on how digital wellbeing is described in educational research and policy between 2010 to 2025. The timeframe relates to the widespread adoption of social media applications from 2010 onward amongst youth and young people (Smahel et al, 2020). · A selection of national and international peer-reviewed journals, books, and anthologies within the field of education addressing discourses of digital wellbeing are analysed (from 2010-2025). · A review of policy documents (in-between2010-2025) on two levels a) European Union Level: involves an examination of pertinent educational policy documents related to youth and pupils' digital wellbeing, digital citizenship, and digital competence. b) National Level: centres on the national context, with an analysis of policy documents including national strategies, curriculums, and relevant Acts related to digital wellbeing, digital citizenship, and digital competence. Substudy 2 aims to give tools to operationalize the concept of digital wellbeing from students’ experiences on bullying, harassment and discrimination as well as to analyse and discuss conditions, barriers and strategies to develop digital wellbeing at school and home. · An analysis of students’ voices through a re-analysis of student’s voices collected in a municipal survey concerning all students in a municipal compulsory school with a high response rate. The selected period is 2018-2024, a period which makes possible an analysis of students’ voices registered before, during, and after the Covid pandemic. · An analysis of school staff and student’s parents/caregivers’ conceptions on digital wellbeing through focus interviews with school staff and parents/caregivers in 3 schools in the selected municipalities.

Scientific research has showed that in the 21st century, education policys and practices should contribute not only to good academic results but even to the health and well-being of children and young people. Evidence based research and meta-analyses of studies nevertheless shows that educational strategies to promote students’ mental health and well-being are more likely to be effective and sustainable over time if they are organised as part of a systemic, whole-school approach (Cefai et alt2021). Even though digital well-being has been a concept in use for more than a decade (cf Nansen et al, 2012), and despite the existence of research reviews in various fields such as engineering (Dennis, 2021), health (Smits, et al, 2022), hospitality marketing (Filep et al, 2023), psychology (Gudka et al, 2023), sociology (Gui et al, 2017), technology (Roffarello et al, 2023), only a few research reviews to be found are concerned with childrens use (cf Cao & Li, 2023), and even fewer (none that we know of) in stems from the general research area of education. Some recent studies (cf. Mourlam, et al 2020) and some recent research reviews point to the importance of further research within the use of technology among a younger generation (Gennari et al, 2023). In this perspective, the kind of knowledge discussed in this research workshop will further research front in several areas. The discussed research furthers research in how young people use technology in and out of school related to their sense of wellbeing and potentially develop frameworks and strategies to address it within school contexts. Based on social ecological framework it provides new knowledge on digital wellbeing based on interrelated voices of research, policy, student’s, staff, and caregivers.

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