DIGI-Teens· Project · 2 min read
Engaging Teens in Digital Wellbeing through the DIGI-Teens apps
The DIGI-Teens apps were used during a week of experiments with three high-schools to assess their impact and engagement.
As part of the ongoing commitment to promoting awareness and innovation in the field of digital wellbeing, the UNIBO team has organized a 20-hour PCTO (Percorsi per le Competenze Trasversali e l’Orientamento) aimed at directly engaging teenagers in the project’s activities.
The initiative was developed in collaboration with three local scientific high schools:
- Istituto Superiore “Leonardo da Vinci” (Cesenatico)
- Istituto Superiore “Marie Curie” (Savignano sul Rubicone)
- Istituto Superiore “Fulcieri Paulucci di Calboli” (Forlì)
Overall, 96 students from four third- and fourth-year classes took part in the program.
The PCTO was designed to actively involve students in using and evaluating the DIGI-Teens system, designed for enhancing their wellbeing. A key element of the experience was the use of the mobile application developed thanks the co-design process of a previous PCTO initiative, always held within the project. By interacting with this tool, students were encouraged to reflect on the meaning of digital wellbeing and to critically examine their own relationship with smartphone use.
A teacher mediated the activities through a web-based application part of the DIGI-Teens system, guiding students through structured classroom sessions that combined practical usage with moments of explanation and reflection. This facilitated a deeper understanding of the themes addressed by the app, such as mindful technology use and strategies for a more balanced and mindful digital experience.
Through this blended approach, combining hands-on experience and guided discussion, the system successfully supported students in developing greater awareness of digital wellbeing, while also strengthening transversal skills such as critical thinking and collaboration.
