Digital Wellbeing in Higher Education

The rapid digital transformation of higher education presents both opportunities and challenges affecting the well-being and mental health of students, faculty, and staff. Ahead of the OEB conference, we (Tina Basner and Channa van der Brug from Hochschulforum Digitalisierung – the German national forum for Higher Education in the digital age, abbr. HFD) offer insights on the topic and examples of universities that strategically foster digital well-being.

Defining Digital Wellbeing in Education

The Council of the European Union defines well-being in digital education “as a feeling of physical, cognitive, social and emotional contentment that enables all individuals to engage positively in all digital learning environments including through digital education and training tools and methods, maximise their potential and self-realisation and helps them to act safely online and supports their empowerment in online environments” (Council conclusions on supporting well-being in digital education  (2022/C 469/04). This broadens the concept of well-being beyond the absence of illness to include thriving in an increasingly digital education context.

Do You Recognise These Challenges?

While digital environments increase flexibility and participation, they also introduce new pressures. Students are increasingly reporting stress, social isolation and emotional fatigue. Faculty and staff face blurred work boundaries, longer working hours and unclear expectations of their roles teaching in digital environments with digital tools. The constant availability of digital communication can cause technostress. And reduced informal contact can foster loneliness, vulnerability and cyberbullying. Johanathan Heidt’s bestseller, The Anxious Generation, dives deeply into this. Recent data from Germany also indicates that the number of students reporting deteriorating health has tripled since 2015 (TK-Gesundheitsreport 2023 – Wie geht’s Deutschlands Studierenden?).

Opportunities through Digital Solutions, Recognising a Shared Responsibility

Digital tools such as health apps and AI chatbots provide accessible and anonymous health support, promoting prevention and inclusion. At the same time, we see that universities all over the world are re-conceptualising health and well-being as shared institutional responsibilities rather than individuals’ personal concerns. Since 2024, the Think Tank Well-Being and Mental Health in the Digital Age at Universities has been keeping a finger on the pulse to seek and share systemic solutions that address culture, structures, and attitudes rather than only individual resilience. Student involvement in the Think Tank informs practical recommendations for embedding mental health competence across curricula and institutional frameworks.

Strategic Integration is Key

As Stefan Lorenz (Chancellor of the University of Kaiserslautern-Landaus) told us: ‘Universities must implement preventive measures that address the health impacts of digital transformation. Universities function as social ecosystems where well-being underpins collaboration and growth” („Gesundheit, Wohlbefinden und Leistungsfähigkeit im digitalen Wandel.“ DUZ Special). To effectively embed well-being in such ecosystems, it must become a strategic priority in teaching, study organisation, digitalisation, personnel development and governance. This requires a structural commitment, like setting up university health management units that bridge the gap between digital opportunities and risks through cross-functional collaboration.

One practical measure that such a unit could take would be to incorporate well-being metrics into regular student surveys. Check out these international examples:

• The University of Sydney, Australia Student Wellbeing SMS Survey – The University of Sydney
• The Diaconia University of Applied Sciences, Finland Student wellbeing gets the spotlight! Take a survey to make an impact on student support services – Diaconia University of Applied Sciences,
• A Germany-wide survey: Mental and physical well-being among students in Germany: results from the StudiBiFra study | Journal of Public Health

Connecting with others’ strategies and expertise can offer valuable insights as well. For instance:

• The University of British Columbia (Canada) for instance has a comprehensive, institution-wide wellbeing strategy guided by the Okanagan Charter https://wellbeing.ubc.ca/framework,
• Erasmus+ Projects such as: HealthyMindEd: Integrating Wellness into Higher Education and; Mindguard.
• We invite you to connect with the HFD Think Tank and meet international colleagues at the OEB Learning Café, “Digital Wellbeing at University: Challenges, Opportunities, and Solutions”
  
  

Looking Ahead

Digital well-being is fundamental to designing participatory, inclusive and responsive digital education. Universities are more than knowledge centres; they are social actors that can shape inclusive and healthy spaces for learning and working.

Authors

Tina Basner (Founder Thinktank “ThinkTank Well-Being and Mental Health in the Digital Age at Universities”, Hochschulforum Digitalisierung/Centre for Higher Education CHE)  and Channa van der Brug (Programme Manager International/EU, Hochschulforum Digitalisierung/Stifterverband)

Written for OEB 2025.