Develop policies and pedagogical practices that create supportive, accessible, and welcoming digital spaces for adolescents¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 6 claims (6 for) · 1 study (1 review), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 6 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The review's forward-looking recommendation is that policy and pedagogy should harness digital technologies for positive development rather than focusing solely on risk reduction. "The findings highlight the diverse opportunities digital technologies afford for adolescent flourishing and underscore the need for policies and pedagogical practices that create supportive, accessible, and welcoming digital spaces." This responds to interventionist policies emphasising harm prevention and offers educators guidance for fostering positive digital learning environments grounded in adolescents' own accounts.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Recognition of the potential benefits as well as harms of digital technologies in policy, research and practice

Constraints¶

• The recommendation rests on qualitative synthesis of adolescents' positive experiences, not on intervention outcome data

Target Learners¶

• secondary-school adolescents aged 12–19, including underrepresented groups

Target Learning Goals¶

• digital wellbeing, identity expression, supportive peer connection, and positive engagement with online learning

Affordances¶

• Sdt Digital Flourishing Thematic Framework

Claims¶

• A meta-synthesis of 90 qualitative studies across 26 countries identifies adolescents' positive online experiences with digital flourishing [+W]
• Adolescents experience autonomy online through self-discovery, anonymity, and judgement-free self-expression [+W]
• Online environments build adolescent competence through pride in achievements, social confidence, and creative confidence [+W]
• Online environments function as virtual youth centres and hubs for bonding and bridging social capital [+W]
• Online spaces hold distinctive value for underrepresented adolescents for identity expression, supportive peer networks, and friendships [+W]
• Adolescents proactively use online technologies to unwind, escape stress, and regulate emotions [+W]

Related Strategies¶

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Gordon, C. S., Brake, N., Hammond, S. P., Picton, I., Notley, T., Rowston, K., Gutierrez, A., Basarkod, G., Costello, K., Gupta, M., West, M., & Dicke, T. (2025). Adolescent flourishing in a digitally connected world: A qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis. Preprint. https://osf.io/j48k5/?view_only=8b6423082746439abb4106526e953aaf