As a lot of what we'd do in the real world moves online, we find that we spend an increasing amount of time online. In 2019, nearly 80% of us used the Internet every day, while, in general, the younger we are, the more time we spend online.

Being online can be stressful in itself, while we can find using devices confusing and frustrating.  Using devices can lead to heightened anxiety and the whole experience can sometimes be overwhelming. Some studies have indicated the more time people look at a screen, be it a TV, computer or mobile phone, the more likely they are to be at risk from anxiety or depression.

Digital wellbeing is all about being comfortable, safe and in control of using devices and being online.  This page is intended to provide tips and suggestions on improving your digital wellbeing.

Basically, digital wellbeing at its simplest, means thinking about the amount of time that you spend using devices, why you use devices and how it makes you feel.

Not all time spent using devices is the same.  If you're actively playing a game or blogging or making comments on a forum, they're not really the same as passively scrolling through a social media feed, so while you might think about the amount of time you spend looking at a screen, think also about what you actually use your device for.  

When you pick up your device, ask yourself a few questions:

• Why did you pick it up?
• What kind of thoughts come up as you scroll through your social media feeds?
• How do your social media feeds make you feel?
• What's your heart rate and breathing like: are you calmer, or more excited?
• Is there another activity that you could do instead (maybe something more calming)?

If you think you should reduce your time spent online, think about trying these suggestions: