Promoting digital well-being in schools

In Portugal, the Directorate-General for Education (DGE) published — on January 2025 — its “Recommendations for the promotion of digital well-being in schools,” an important milestone for the future of education in Portugal. The goal is clear: to help schools create balanced, safe and healthy digital environments, where the entire educational community — students, teachers, parents/guardians and school leadership — feels supported and protected.

The guidelines focus on seven key measures aimed at making school digital environments more conscious and responsible:
1 – Establish clear and participatory rules for the use of digital devices, adapted to each age group.
2 – Communicate these rules widely using the school’s communication channels.
3 – Identify and monitor situations that may require specialised intervention — and ensure proper support when needed.
4 – Adopt a zero-tolerance approach to online violence and cyberbullying, ensuring a safe virtual space.
5 – Strengthen the digital skills of all members of the educational community — from school leaders and teachers to students and parents.
6 – Develop critical digital skills, encouraging reflective thinking about information and combating misinformation.
7 – Balance the use of digital tools with offline pedagogical practices, ensuring a diverse and healthy learning environment.

These recommendations arrive at a moment when the digital transformation of schools is more intense than ever — with tablets, computers, communication platforms and networks becoming part of daily school life. However, without clear rules, digital education and proper support, risks such as dependency, misinformation, cyberbullying and negative impacts on mental well-being increase.

The DGE’s document reinforces that “digitalizing” should not mean simply equipping classrooms with technology — but ensuring its healthy, responsible and conscious use. This requires joint involvement from the entire school community.

Everyone — specialists, teachers, students, parents, guardians and school leaders — has an essential role in this process. This means defining clear rules, fostering dialogue, staying alert to signs of discomfort or risk, promoting digital literacy and ensuring that technology does not replace key educational and social practices.