Cycle Against Suicide 
 

Digital life is now an integral part of adolescent development. Evidence suggests that the relationship between digital engagement and wellbeing is complex. Research finds only small and inconsistent associations between screen time alone and wellbeing. This does not mean digital risks are insignificant, but rather that risk is influenced by how young people use technology, what they encounter online and the support and skills available to them.

EU and OECD frameworks commonly categorise online risks into four areas: content, contact, conduct and contract. However, the impact of these risks is also shaped by a young person’s ability to process, respond to and recover from negative online experiences, known as digital resilience.

Digital resilience is influenced by both individual and contextual factors. Some young people may face greater exposure to online risks and fewer protective resources. This has contributed to concerns about a 'new digital divide' where differences in online experiences can reinforce existing inequalities.
 
Supportive relationships are important. Having at least one trusted adult to turn to when something goes wrong is a strong protective factor for young people’s wellbeing.  Research suggests that warm, supportive and democratic parental engagement is more beneficial than monitoring or restriction alone.

At an individual level, digital literacy, the ability to engage critically, safely and confidently online, is associated with stronger digital resilience and better wellbeing outcomes.  Proactive responses such as talking to someone, reporting harmful content or blocking unwanted contact can also strengthen resilience.

Evidence increasingly suggests that interventions focused solely on reducing screen time are less effective than those addressing problematic patterns of digital use and developing digital literacy and self-management skills. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis found greater reductions in harm from interventions targeting problematic digital technology use than those focused on screen-time reduction alone.

Cycle Against Suicide in association with University College Dublin is delighted to launch our MAPPER Programme; Navigating Digital Life. This programme aims to equip young people with the digital literacy, resilience and self-management skills needed to navigate the online world safely, confidently and with greater agency.

Rather than focusing simply on how much time young people spend online, MAPPER explores how they use technology, what they encounter, how digital experiences can affect wellbeing, and what they can do when things go wrong.

Methodology
MAPPER: Navigating Digital Life programme has been developed through a structured, interdisciplinary review of evidence across clinical, developmental, educational and technological research. This approach ensures that the programme reflects current evidence while remaining practical and relevant to real-world classroom settings.

SPHE Alignment
Our programme comprises a teaching pack of 8 workshops/lesson plans on digital literacy for wellbeing, and is designed to support the learning outcomes and key skills of the Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle SPHE specifications.

This programme is available to teachers in secondary schools.  Workshop/Lesson plans can be downloaded directly from our e-learning platform via our HEADSTRONG Programme at: https://cas-elearning.com/headstrong/headstrong-mapper-navigating-digital-life/

A hard copy toolkit of the workshops/lesson plans will also be available in the next week or two. Please let us know if your school would like to receive a hard copy.
 
Parents who are homeschooling and would like to avail of this programme, we will forward a hard copy of our toolkit to you. 

Kind regards,

Caroline.