Screen or scream: SOS on digital wellbeing

The SOS Digiwell – Digital Well-being project aimed to equip low-educated parents with the skills and confidence to navigate the digital age while fostering a healthy balance between screen use an...

The SOS Digiwell – Digital Well-being project aimed to equip low-educated parents with the skills and confidence to navigate the digital age while fostering a healthy balance between screen use and offline activities. A key achievement was the creation of an e-learning module, developed collaboratively by MAKS VZW based in Brussels and the Czech learning content creation agency Santia. This module provided participants with accessible, interactive training to understand digital risks (cyberbullying, addiction) and opportunities (educational tools, creativity). It was complemented by practical resources, including activity sheets and an educational card game, to encourage learning and dialogue within families. To ensure the project’s sustainability, educators were trained in a tailored pedagogy to effectively integrate the e-learning into their teaching. A comprehensive guide equipped them with strategies to engage parents and adapt methods to diverse contexts. This dual focus on participant empowerment and educator training ensures that the project can be scaled and replicated in the future, creating lasting change in how families approach technology and digital well-being.

The SOS Digiwell – Digital Wellbeing project implemented key activities to address the needs of low-educated parents and educators. At its core, the project developed an accessible e-learning module to raise awareness of digital risks like screen addiction and cyberbullying while promoting the educational potential of technology. This module was integrated into interactive workshops, where parents engaged in practical case studies, collaborative discussions, and hands-on digital training to build their confidence and skills. Webinars were organized to indirectly train interested educators, providing them with resources to adapt the project’s tools and strategies to their contexts. The final event brought together parents and educators for a brunch and an interactive quiz on digital wellbeing, encouraging dialogue and idea sharing. The project also focused on online dissemination, making the e-learning module and pedagogical guide available in multiple languages to ensure accessibility and long-term impact. These activities fostered meaningful change, equipping families and educators to approach digital technology responsibly and sustainably.

The SOS Digiwell – Digital Wellbeing project was initially based on a standalone e-learning module. However, testing with participants revealed limited impact due to a lack of initiative to engage with the module independently and the absence of contextualization. To address these challenges, the project evolved into a structured course combining e-learning, group discussions, practical activities, and contextual scenarios, enabling better content appropriation. Following the webinars, two literacy centers in Brussels expressed interest in organizing one-day interventions for their learners. Primary and secondary school teachers also showed interest, particularly in integrating smartphones into their classes through pedagogically designed activities. This evolution highlighted the importance of contextualizing digital tools for specific audiences and resulted in a reproducible model that combines online learning with in-person support, creating a lasting impact on both learners and educators.