Digital wellness study

This study explored the representation of digital wellness within existing digital literacy and digital citizenship educational models or frameworks. Results revealed that fourteen of the twenty-four frameworks incorporated digital wellness constructs to varying degrees. The majority referred to digital wellness as a ‘subcomponent’ of digital literacy or digital competence, affirming their status as educational priorities globally. 

Laffier, J., Westley, M., & Rehman, A. (2025). How digital wellness is represented in school digital literacy and citizenship models: a qualitative comparative analysis. Academia Mental Health and Well-Being, 2(4). https://doi.org/10.20935/MHealthWellB8019

Book banning impact study

A recent study "discusses how book bans are more than censorship—they’re legislated trauma. Drawing on critical race theory and trauma-informed research, the article shows how removing texts that reflect marginalized identities silences voices, erodes belonging, and inflicts harm on students’ well-being. By framing bans as microaggressions with lasting psychological and physical effects, [The author] reveals them as deliberate assaults on dignity, safety, and identity." (from ILA.org)

Hannegan-Martinez, S. (2025). Legislating trauma: Book bans, educational gag orders, and microaggressions. Reading Research Quarterly, 60(4). https://ila.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/rrq.70046

 "In the United States, social-emotional well-being has become a priority because of concerning mental health and well-being outcomes for adolescent youth. High schools and school districts have responded by expanding mental health and social-emotional supports. However, there is little research to understand the ways in which educational leaders—including superintendents, school district coordinators, and principals—organize practices and policies to support social-emotional well-being for high school students.

In this report, the authors seek to close this research gap by presenting findings from a multi-method, multiyear national study on social-emotional well-being supports, focusing on high school students. The authors’ takeaways include insights about high school staffing, high school–specific practices that support social-emotional well-being, equity-oriented social-emotional well-being supports for minoritized students, district-level supports, and challenges to implementing or maintaining social-emotional well-being initiatives at the high school level. The authors also provide recommendations aimed at school district leaders, high school leaders, and educational policymakers."

Kennedy, K., & Wells, J. (2024). Social-emotional well-being for high school students: Guidance for school and system policy and practice. RAND. 

https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA3377-1.html??cutoff=true&utm_source=AdaptiveMailer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=701QK00000I6K6ZYAV&utm_term=00vQK00000CvYNqYAN&org=1674&lvl=100&ite=292299&lea=3909544&ctr=0&par=1&trk=a0wQK000007t2A1YAI

Popular apps and devices survey

 YouTube was the most common app used on a weekly basis by 4th-12th graders and for 9th-12th graders, email was the second most common app, according to a survey issued by The Social Institute, a company that provides curriculum addressing social-emotional learning, social media and technology. The survey, which included responses from nearly 23,000 students in U.S. public and private schools, found school-issued devices, TVs and smartphones are the most popular devices used by students on a weekly basis.

23 insights for 2023 on how students navigate well-being, social media and tech. Social Institute. https://thesocialinstitute.com/insight/report-23-insights-for-2023-on-how-students-navigate-well-being-social-media-and-tech/.

Pandemic Impact on Education

 COVID-19 has led to unprecedented challenges in the field of education, and now, even with a return to normalcy seemingly on the horizon, uncertainties remain. Over 600 educators were surveyed in an effort to gauge and further understand the current realities of teaching through a pandemic. The insights gained may help educational leaders strategize and plan for the coming year and beyond, as they search to find the best path forward in supporting staff and students.

Some of the findings are:

• 90% of teachers and staff need to wear PPE.
• 39% of teachers will teach F2F with no remote option.
• About 70% teachers used Zoom.
• In 42% of schools, devices are usually shared. 

Survey Says. (2020). Tech & Learning.

https://www.smartbrief.com/whitepapers/01F93951-ADD5-4C3D-BA60-B3C72DAA4882/AVer_Whitepaper_July2021_v10.pdf

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A recent survey conducted during the coronavirus pandemic finds that students cite depression, stress and anxiety as key barriers to learning. The survey also revealed a decline in access to trusted adults among students, with just 39% saying they have a connection to a supportive adult at school.

Learning & well-being during COVID-19. (2021). YouthTruth. http://youthtruthsurvey.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/YouthTruth-Students-Weigh-In-Part-II-Learning-and-Well-Being-During-COVID-19.pdf

https://www.the74million.org/article/student-survey-depression-stress-and-anxiety-leading-barriers-to-learning-as-access-to-trusted-adults-drops/

COVID-19 impact studies

The coronavirus pandemic along with remote instruction are affecting students' academic progress, as well as their overall well-being, according to a CDC study. Of parents surveyed, 25% of those whose children are learning remotely said their children's mental or emotional health had worsened -- compared with 16% of those whose children are learning in person.

Verlenden JV, Pampati S, Rasberry CN, et al. Association of Children’s Mode of School Instruction with Child and Parent Experiences and Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic — COVID Experiences Survey, United States, October 8–November 13, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021;70:369–376. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7011a1

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Oral reading fluency stalled for many second- and third-grade students last spring, according to a study by researchers from the Stanford Graduate School of Education. found that students currently in second and third grade are now approximately 30% behind what would be expected in a typical year in reading fluency. Additionally, the study found that there was an inequitable impact, with students in historically lower-achieving districts — which often serve a greater share of low-income and minority students — developing reading skills at a slower rate than those in higher-achieving ones. The study adds that these are populations that were disproportionately affected by the pandemic in ways that impinge on their readiness to learn, including lack of access to computers, reliable internet access or a parent at home.

Dominique, B., et al. (2021). Changing patterns of growth in oral reading fluency during the COVID-10 pandemic. PACE.

https://edpolicyinca.org/publications/changing-patterns-growth-oral-reading-fluency-during-covid-19-pandemic

Research on school libraries and student well-being

 This paper explores how school libraries may support student well-being by operating as safe spaces for young people, promoting and resourcing mental health and well-being initiatives, and supporting and promoting bibliotherapeutic practices and reading for pleasure. It then highlights implications for future research to support the development of a sound, research-supported evidence base for advocacy moving forward.

Merga, M. (2020). How can school libraries support student wellbeing? Evidence and implications for further research. Journal of Library Administration, 60(6), 660-673.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01930826.2020.1773718

Student motivation during COVID-19 survey

 During coronavirus-related school closures in the spring, students' ability to motivate themselves to complete schoolwork varied by age, with 57% of fifth-graders saying they were able to stay motivated compared with 26% of 12th-graders, a survey finds. Distractions at home were the most common reason students cited for lack of motivation, followed by feeling stressed or depressed. 

Large numbers were able to navigate the mechanics of accessing and turning in their schoolwork (87 percent and 79 percent, respectively). Nearly six in 10 (57 percent) said they spent more time than usual on activities they enjoyed. And half reported that they were able to focus on their learning.

But remote learning didn't always result in a lot of learning. Challenges were especially high for low-income and Latinx students, who cited lack of ready access to the internet and computing devices more than other groups of students. Also, female students and those who identify in a way other than male or female reported struggling more with mental health and well-being (57 percent and 70 percent, in order) more than male students (38 percent).

Students weigh in: Learning & well-being during COVID-19. (2020). San Francisco, CA: YouthTruth. https://youthtruthsurvey.org/students-weigh-in/#studentvoice

Reading and well-being report

Mental wellbeing, reading and writing

Added 26 Sep 2018

Mental wellbeing, reading and writing explores the relationship between children's mental wellbeing and their reading and writing enjoyment, attitudes and behaviours.

The report is based on findings from our eight Annual Literacy Survey of 49,047 children and young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK.

As this is the first time we have explored the link between reading, writing and mental wellbeing, we developed two new measures to enable us to better understand these relationships:

• Mental Wellbeing Index: we quantified children's responses to questions on life satisfaction, coping skills and self-belief on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is the highest level of mental wellbeing.
• Literacy engagement score: we quantified children's responses to questions on how much they enjoy reading and writing, how often they read and write outside school, what they think about reading and writing, and how good children think they are at reading and writing. Scores were then given out of a total of 52, where 52 is the highest level of engagement with literacy practices.

Our analysis found that:

• Children and young people who are the most engaged with literacy have better mental wellbeing than their peers who are the least engaged (Mental Wellbeing Index scores of 7.9/10 vs 6.6/10)
• Children who are the most engaged with literacy are three times more likely to have higher levels of mental wellbeing than children who are the least engaged (39.4% vs 11.8%)
• Conversely, children who are the least engaged with literacy are twice as likely to have low levels of mental wellbeing than their peers who are the most engaged (37.4% vs 15%)
• Children with above expected reading skills are three times more likely to have high levels of mental wellbeing than their peers with below expected reading skills (40.3% vs 13.1%)
• As children transition from primary to secondary school, their levels of literacy engagement and mental wellbeing both begin and continue to decline
• Boys who are the most engaged with literacy have higher levels of mental wellbeing than girls who are equally engaged (Mental Wellbeing Index scores of 8.1/10 vs 7.6/10)

The report also includes new analysis from University College London which shows an enduring relationship between mental health and verbal scores, with those who have low verbal ability having worse mental health outcomes than those with higher verbal ability. This finding is true when one considers children from the 1970 British Cohort Study as well as children from the more recent Millennium Cohort Study.

National Literacy Trust. (2018). Mental wellbeing, reading and writing. London: Author. https://literacytrust.org.uk/research-services/research-reports/mental-wellbeing-reading-and-writing/

Well-being in a Future Full of Technology

In a Pew Research Center study, many of respondents who argued that human well-being will be harmed also acknowledged that digital tools will continue to enhance various aspects of life. They also note there is no turning back. At the same time, many of them suggested interventions in the coming years they feel could mitigate the problems and emphasize the benefits. Moreover, many of the hopeful respondents also agreed that some harm will arise in the future, especially to those who are vulnerable. Findings also showed three types of themes emerged: those tied to expert views that people will be more helped than harmed when it comes to well-being; those tied to potential harms; and those tied to remedies these experts proposed to mitigate foreseeable problems.

Anderson, J., & Rainie, L. (2018). The future of well-being in a tech-saturated world. Washington, D.C.: Pew Research Center. http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2018/04/20114508/PI_2018.04.17_Future-of-Well-Being_FINAL.pdf

Social and Emotional Learning Interventions in School

This meta-analysis reviewed school-based, universal social and emotional learning (SEL) interventions involving kindergarten to high school students, and findings demonstrate SEL’s enhancement of positive youth development. Participants fared significantly better than controls in social-emotional skills, attitudes, and indicators of well-being. Benefits were similar regardless of students’ race, socioeconomic background, or school location. Postintervention social-emotional skill development was the strongest predictor of well-being at follow-up. Infrequently assessed but notable outcomes (e.g., graduation and safe sexual behaviors) illustrate SEL’s improvement of critical aspects of students’ developmental trajectories.

Taylor, R. D., Oberle, E., Durlak, J. A., & Weissberg, R. P. (2017). Promoting positive youth development through school-based social and emotional learning interventions: A meta-analysis of follow-up effects. Child Development, 88(4), 1156-1171. http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/rulesforengagement/Taylor%20et%20al%20-%20FINAL%20document%206%2017%202017.pdf