IGF 2021 Day 0 Event #116 Digital wellbeing – a fad or a real need for every generation?

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, digital wellbeing was often perceived as something invented by intellectuals, freelancers who – as is generally believed – can afford a slow life, as well as a growing yet still small group of experts already then sounding the alarm that technology was entering our lives too boldly, or rather that we were letting it into our everyday reality without any restrictions. But although this topic was gaining popularity, usually it was treated as the digital equivalent of yoga – if exercised, it could lead one to achieve the state of digital Zen. It was seen more as a temporary fad than a real need to look after oneself in a world interlarded with technology. The pandemic changed everything. Digital tools became an integral part of our everyday life, often a precondition of our functioning, and they grabbed hold of us like never before. It turned out that digital wellbeing was not just a need expressed by the few, but a necessary action to be undertaken by everyone. During the debate on digital wellbeing, we will let young people do most of the talking, since for them this pandemic time was particularly difficult – without contact with their peers, hungry for new relationships, often rebelling against their elders, and in the process of building their own identity, somehow they had to cope. For them, technology often proved as helpful as it was destructive. How are they coping with their wellbeing today and how are they supported in achieving it by the adult world? What are their needs and expectations, and what remedy can they see for the overload caused by the increasingly engaging world of the Internet? During the debate, the voice of young people will be enhanced by that of experts connected and in everyday contact with them. They will provide research, analyses and, first and foremost, everyday observations and experiences to complement the discussion.

The debate will be a multigenerational polyphony. The diversity of participants will ensure its dynamics and attractiveness. The young people’s voice will constitute an element determining its character and, in itself, will interest the participants. The final part of the debate, 10–15 minutes, will be the time for questions from the audience. At the same time, both physical and online debate participants will be able to answer questions prepared for them by the debate moderator. We will use the Mentimeter tool, which makes it possible to quickly collect short answers, as well as survey and poll participants. https://www.mentimeter.com