Exploring “Digital Wellness” for our Students (and Ourselves)

I like the idea of striving for “Digital Wellness”, but I hope it isn't just used as another guise for the big data players to hide behind while they cull our data and further invade our daily lives…

While working on some cybersecurity awareness and digital “well being” content for the students here at The College of Westchester, I googled the term “digital wellness” out of curiosity. Was this a phrase I had just dreamed up or was it a real term being used out there? Turns out this term is being used, and the big players all have something to add to the conversation.

I was glad to see that some schools and organizations are putting together programs, documents, or research focused on this challenging issue.

Unfortunately, some of the stuff I found (which I did not share) raises questions about the intent of big players like Google, Apple, and Facebook when they try to help us with digital wellness resources. Overall, I think it is still better to have them at least recognizing this need than ignoring it.

Here are some of the more interesting resources I came across:

• Digital Wellness 101: Taking Control of Your Life Online (University of Washington)
• Liberty University started the nation's first Center for Digital Wellness
• Illinois State published this PDF to offer their students some tips in how to maintain their digital wellness by securing their identities
• The University of California at San Diego is “inventing the future of digital wellness“.
• The Global Wellness Institute has defined a Digital Wellness Initiative under way.
• Psychology Today wrote the article, The Key to Maintaining Your Digital Well-Being.

So what is your institution doing to promote digital wellness? And what do you think about this concept?