The University of Michigan’s Marsal Family School of Education paired U-M students with over 50 Ann Arbor middle schoolers to put down their cell phones and other digital devices and learn how to improve their mental and physical health. They call it a “Digital Wellness Program.”
In April 2024, 52 middle school students from Clague, Scarlett and Tappan middle schools joined with 11 U-M students to meet weekly through the end of the school year in June to focus on digital wellness.
Liz Kolb, clinical professor of Teacher Education and Learning Technologies at the Marsal Family School of Education at University of Michigan, said, “It is continuing this year, and we hope it will continue for many more years. We are trying to get funding to support future iterations and to expand the program.“
She added, “We knew, from pre-program surveys, that about 50% of the local 6th graders had cell phones,” Kolb said. “We also knew that the majority of them were on screens to stream shows/movies, do homework, watch YouTube, play video games, Facetime, and message friends, and only a few were using social media. Thus, it was important to understand that they were just dipping their toes into the social media world, and we wanted to be proactive in conversations about helping them get in touch with their emotions when using devices, especially for long periods of time.”
Some students reported that they were addicted to cell phone use or gaming, and it poorly influenced sleeping and other health factors. The program focused not only on cell phone use but also on many kinds of digital devices.
“I do want to share that this project was not just about cell phone use, it focused on all screen use — including video games, television streaming, et cetera, and making healthy choices with them,” Kolb said. “With that said, we know that the closer cell phones — or screens — are to a student, the more likely they will be distracting. Just the idea of a notification coming in — even if there isn’t one — is enough of a distraction that a student will lose focus in class.”
Anxiety, depression, eating disorders, cyberbullying, deepfake, addiction and other mental health issues have all been associated with the use of digital devices and high screen time. The University of Michigan Digital Wellness program sought to help students with these and other challenges.
Students were given science-based information about what happens to their bodies when using too many digital devices and ways to increase mental and physical health.
“Overwhelmingly, the 6th graders and the UM students found it to be a positive experience and had an impact on how they view and use their digital devices,” Kolb said. “Their positive feedback really focused on being able to talk with college students about their device use and how that gave them a different perspective. They also enjoyed creating projects and events for their schools. Ultimately, many shared that the program did give them an opportunity to be more aware of their own health and emotions when using devices, which is what we were hoping for!”
Some students reported that digital devices were affecting their sleep or social interaction time. Students should get at least 8 hours of sleep and interact with people in a positive way in real life as well.
All people, including students, tend to be addicted to screens, according to Kolb, and we need to be aware of these features as well as the remedies.
“Social media and gaming application developers purposefully develop apps to be addictive through color choice, constant notifications, continuous streaming, and endless gaming — no breaks,” Kolb said. “These types of features encourage people to check their devices often and to keep them in an app for long periods of time.”
Research has shown that extensive use of screens in passive ways or ways that create large highs and lows in the brain can impact the brain development of students — since their brains are not fully formed until the mid-20s. It can also impact sleep and overall physical health if devices are being used late at night. However, the recommendation by experts is to make sure a child is getting at least 8 hours of sleep at night, 1 hour of physical activity a day, socializing in person with peers each day, and is academically sound, according to Kolb.
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“If those things are happening (good sleep, socialization, low screen time), some screen use should be OK for most students,” said Kolb. “Each student is a little different in how they react to screen apps. For example, one student may not have a strong reaction to not getting a lot of likes on a post, while another student may feel very upset about it. At the same time, we know that some students find comfort online and through their devices, such as finding like-minded peers on a particular issue or topic, or affiliation. So, while there are some dangers with excessive screen and social media use, there are some potential positives too. Finding balance is key.”
The digital wellness study fits into the department’s goals as well.
“Our mission is to generate, study, and teach strategies, practices, and tools for addressing educational problems and to prepare practitioners, policymakers, and researchers who can develop equitable and just educational opportunities,” Kolb said. “We prepare future teachers and leaders who work in a diverse array of education areas, including non-profit organizations, for-profit companies, publications, schools, and higher education.”
Kolb concluded by commenting on how much fun it was to work with the middle school students.
“The 6th graders in our AAPS community were a joy to work with,” Kolb said. “They were very willing to partake in the activities, had great ideas, and really became leaders in the project!”
