The rapid digital transformation shaping our societies presents both remarkable opportunities and pressing challenges, particularly concerning children’s well-being. Digital environments have become deeply embedded in children’s daily lives, offering invaluable opportunities for learning, play, and social interaction. However, these same spaces also introduce evolving risks that can impact children’s development and mental health. Problematic use of digital media can expose children to risks such as uncontrolled screen time, cyberbullying, online exploitation, and negative impacts on sleep patterns, physical development and mental health, including anxiety, depression. Social media platforms, for instance, are increasingly scrutinised for their potential adverse effects on young users, highlighting the urgent need of heightened protection and robust research to fully grasp the scope and scale of these challenges.
The OECD Recommendation on Children in the Digital Environment, adopted in 2012 and amended in 2021, is a cornerstone of OECD work in this area, along with related analysis of Digital Safety by Design for Children, Transparency Reporting on Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, and the Classification of Risks Online.
This report builds on a long history of OECD work on child well-being. Important milestones include the 2021 flagship report Measuring What Matters for Child Well-being and Policies, which underscores the diverse factors influencing child well-being. It highlights the interconnected nature of different developmental domains and the deep integration of child well-being within various environments – including the digital environment. The report emphasised the need for protection and strong relational support to help children navigate these spaces safely, develop essential skills, and fully enjoy life. In 2019, the report Educating 21st Century Children: Emotional Well-being in the Digital Age explored modern childhood by examining the relationship between emotional well-being and new technologies, the evolution of parenting and friendships in the digital era, and strategies to maximise online opportunities while minimising risks. Previous work has also focused on the challenges of digital media exposure on youth mental health, including the Spotlight Mental Health and Digital Environments in the 2024 OECD Digital Economy Outlook and the 2018 policy paper Children and Young People's Mental Health in the Digital Age.
This report takes a step further by exploring adolescents’ experiences in the digital environment, using the latest cross-national data from the 2022 PISA, 2022-21 Health Behaviour of School-Aged Children, and the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy surveys. It provides a comprehensive review of research assessing the impact of children’s digital media use on their well-being and development. It also addresses policy challenges related to holistic, rights-based, and multi-sectoral approaches to supporting children's well-being both online and offline. Furthermore, it highlights the need to enhance data collection and monitoring capabilities to better understand and mitigate risks.
This report was prepared by the OECD Centre on Well Being, Inclusion, Sustainability and Equal Opportunity (WISE Centre). It was developed under the leadership of Romina Boarini (Director, OECD WISE Centre) and under the supervision of Olivier Thévenon (Head of the Child Well-being Unit, OECD WISE Centre). The report was written by Olivier Thévenon, with cross-national indicators developed by Nora Brüning, and inputs provided by Gráinne Dirwan, Eva Heyl, Paul Michelsen and Marine Matsumura (all OECD WISE Centre). Anne-Lise Faron (OECD WISE Centre) prepared the manuscript for publication, and Martine Zaïda and Taylor Kelly (OECD WISE Centre) provided valuable support and advice on communication and publication.
The report has benefited from helpful comments on early drafts provided by national delegates to the OECD Working Party on Social Policy. Their contributions and advice are kindly acknowledged, and we hope the resulting product can be useful for their work. The report also benefited from comments and feedback from Molly Lesher, Lisa Robinson and Jeremy West (OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation), Emily Hewlett (OECD Directorate for Employment, Labour, and Social Affairs), Claire Shewbridge (OECD Directorate for Education), Nicole Drew, Craig Matazick, Giulia Morando and Elizabeth Manning (OECD Directorate for Public Governance), Romina Boarini and many other colleagues from the OECD-WISE Centre.
The report was funded by the Secretary General Central Priority Fund to help countries leverage the benefits of digital transformation for children while managing associated risks.