Young People’s Digital Safety and Wellbeing: Findings from Philippines and Qatar

Abstract

This study emphasizes the critical role of libraries as catalysts in fostering digital literacy and digital well-being among young people participating in the collaborative digital and information landscape. Approximate 350 high school students from Philippines and Qatar participated in this study via a library instruction activity and were asked to record their ideas through a collective mind map and present it to the class. With the support of evidence-based action plan, the researchers used this as a guideline to facilitate digital literacy instruction to educate participants developing their digital safety skills by emphasizing various risks within the digital environment. The findings highlight some specificity of technical terms that students use in engaging and participating in an online world and raise concerns about young people’s digital safety and digital well-being and the impact of this on their personal, academic, and social roles and identities.