Student Digital Well-Being: Identifying Gaps and Opportunities for Saskatchewan Schools

Researchers: Dr. Bonnie Lee, Dr. Amanda Froehlich Chow, and Dr. Barbara Fornssler

Project Summary: This project examines gaps and opportunities in the prevention of harmful technology use among middle and high school Saskatchewan students through a structured narrative review of peer-reviewed literature and an environmental scan of existing programs, resources, and supports. Two consultation sessions with Saskatchewan teachers will complement this work, exploring teachers’ perspectives on student challenges related to digital gambling, gaming, social media, pornography, cyberbullying, and screen time. Teachers will share current responses, concerns, referral pathways, and ideas for digital health and safety education, including preferred professional development formats. The study will identify gaps in supports and generate recommendations for targeted, segmented prevention approaches aligned with student needs. A graduate research assistant will support the literature review, environmental scan, and coordination of teacher consultations. The final output will be a summary report with dissemination deliverables offering actionable recommendations for programming and policy development, aligned with the McDowell Foundation’s special call by centring educator perspectives to strengthen digital well-being.