We can experience both positive and negative effects of digital technologies at the same time. Whether and what kind of effect a user experiences depends on the context, situation and individual factors. For example, the same half hour on social media can be enjoyable if your intention was to relax for a while, and less enjoyable if you actually wanted to do something else but became distracted. Unfortunately, it is not as simple as saying that ‘4 hours of screen time per day is bad for you’.

How can we gain a good understanding of the relationship between people and digital technology?

So, is a good understanding of the relationship between people and digital technology completely out of reach? Certainly not. It is important that we know what we need to research and how to research it properly. In addition, it is important that what we know from science is used to develop concrete advice that society, the government and the business community can put into practice. Fortunately, we already know more than we sometimes think about social media, games and AI.

A glimpse behind the curtain: what do we know?

Whether it is social media, video games or artificial intelligence: positive and negative experiences with digital technologies can both occur, sometimes simultaneously, within one person. For example, video games can offer benefits for cognitive development and social well-being, but can also have negative effects on well-being as a result of, for example, sedentary behaviour.

It also depends on the context, situation and personal characteristics whether an effect occurs and what kind of effect it is. For example, we know that young people who have more difficulty regulating their emotions or who have low self-esteem are more likely to experience a negative relationship between their well-being and their use of social media.

In the position paper, the Centre of Expertise for Digitalisation and Well-being makes recommendations for parents and caregivers, as well as for education and civil society.

Recommendations for parents and caregivers

  • Keep talking about what your child does and experiences on digital media
  • Involve your child in media education and do so with consideration for what your child can handle at their stage of development
  • Tailor your approach to media education to your child’s age
  • Make agreements and rules explicit within the family and try to apply them equally to everyone as much as possible
  • Set a good example for your child through your own media use
  • Make use of the advice on age-appropriate content
  • Ensure a balance between digital media use and other activities such as sleep, school and social contacts

Recommendations for education and civil society

  • Include the digital world as part of people’s lived environment in prevention efforts
  • Expand the digital curriculum on media literacy to include attention to digital well-being
  • Involve children and young people structurally in policy and provision

Download the position paper here.