In today’s world, where learning increasingly takes place in digital spaces, digital wellbeing has become a vital part of education. It is no longer enough to ask how much time learners spend online; we must also consider how those digital experiences affect their minds, emotions, relationships, and overall growth.
The GLITTER project—Strengthening learners’ digital well-being using effective teaching practices and digital environments—is taking a bold step toward redefining how schools can nurture digital wellbeing. The project’s recent deliverable, Understanding the Concept of Digital Wellbeing in the Teaching and Learning Process, provides a roadmap for educators, policymakers, and researchers who want to create healthier digital ecosystems in schools.
What do we mean by Digital Wellbeing?
The report highlights that digital wellbeing goes far beyond “screen time.” It is about the quality and intentionality of digital interactions. A digitally well learner is one who feels safe, supported, and empowered to use technology for learning, self-expression, and connection, while also knowing when to disconnect.
Key dimensions of digital wellbeing include:
- Cognitive wellbeing – supporting focus, clarity, and critical thinking.
- Emotional wellbeing – managing stress and building resilience.
- Social wellbeing – fostering belonging and safe digital connections.
- Physical wellbeing – encouraging healthy ergonomics, sleep, and movement.
- Ethical wellbeing – promoting respect for privacy, autonomy, and digital citizenship
Four Pillars of digital Wellbeing in Schools
Through a bibliometric analysis of over 2,000 academic publications, the GLITTER team identified four thematic clusters that shape how digital wellbeing should be understood and applied in education.
- Psychological Development – Focusing on resilience, motivation, and emotional regulation in digital spaces.
- Educational Technologies & Learning Environments – Designing tools and platforms that support attention, agency, and positive engagement.
- Social Contexts, Family Systems & Identity – Recognizing the role of parents, peers, and cultural contexts in shaping digital habits and safety.
- Policy, Equity & Institutional Readiness – Embedding digital wellbeing into school culture, leadership, and national education frameworks.
The Iceberg model on page 31 of the report illustrates this beautifully: while visible actions like apps and teaching practices matter, true digital wellbeing lies deeper, in school culture, policy, and relationships.
Why this matters now
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital learning and exposed both opportunities and challenges. While digital tools expanded access, they also amplified stress, burnout, and inequality. The GLITTER report shows that moving forward, schools must embrace a whole-school approach, where wellbeing is not an add-on but a guiding principle for how teaching, learning, and technology are designed.
This means:
- Training educators to model and scaffold digital balance.
- Involving students in the co-design of digital platforms.
- Engaging families in conversations about healthy digital habits.
- Embedding wellbeing into national education policies and school leadership.
Looking ahead
The GLITTER consortium envisions schools as learning organizations where digital wellbeing is woven into every layer—from the apps students use to the policies that govern education. By adopting this holistic perspective, we can move beyond preventing harm and instead cultivate environments where learners truly flourish online and offline into a space where every learner feels safe, connected, and empowered.