As digital technologies become ever more embedded in our daily lives, they shape how we communicate, learn, work, and interact with others. While digitalisation opens new opportunities, it also influences access to information, relationships, and participation in society, raising important challenges related to wellbeing, inclusion, and safety. 

Digital participation is not neutral: the way people engage with technology can empower them or deepen exclusion and vulnerability. For many, including young people, older adults, and those with lower levels of digital skills, online environments can feel overwhelming, unsafe, or harmful to wellbeing. This is why healthy digital habits are not optional, but a fundamental condition for meaningful and inclusive digital participation.

Why healthy digital habits matter

Healthy digital habits help people use technology in ways that support wellbeing, autonomy, and confidence. They enable individuals to manage screen time, recognise online risks, protect their privacy, and engage critically with digital content. Without these skills, digital environments can expose users to misinformation, online harassment, privacy violations, or patterns of use that undermine trust and participation.

Insights from civil society and educational practice increasingly highlight similar concerns. Users report the negative effects of excessive screen time, the lack of safe online spaces, and limited awareness of digital rights, including data protection and the right to data deletion. These challenges tend to affect most strongly those who already face barriers to digital inclusion, reinforcing inequalities rather than reducing them.

Healthy digital habits therefore play a crucial role in ensuring that digitalisation benefits everyone. They support individual wellbeing while also contributing to social cohesion, democratic participation, and resilience in an increasingly digital society.