The digital landscape is larger and more diverse than ever, with youth accessing unlimited digital content across numerous platforms and devices. Nearly 95% of youth now report they have a smartphone, a digital device, or access to one. In turn, these online connections fuel more persistent online activities, with 45% of youth reporting they are online on a near-constant basis (OECD, 2018). As we move further into digitally enriched worlds, children and youth must have the skills and knowledge to thrive. Youth can benefit from 21st-century skills and global competencies such as media literacy, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and global citizenship (Horizons Report, 2018). These skills are needed to live and work in media and information-rich societies (Nansen, 2012; OECD, 2018). In response to the focus on the 21st-century learner, many educational settings adopted Digital Literacy and Digital Citizenship models. Several valuable frameworks were adapted and have been used by educators to teach children how to be wise and safe technology users and creators (Gazi, 2016; Ripple, 2015).

However, an area garnering more attention is that of digital wellness. Digital wellness grew from the awareness of technology's impacts on mental health and well-being (Gui et al., 2017). Although digital wellness was recognized in some digital literacy and citizenship frameworks and discussions, it deserved its own as an essential skill for thriving in a digital and ever-changing world (Gui, 2017; Laffier, 2015). From a psychological perspective, digital wellness is a life skill and developmental process that supports people in becoming flourishing and resilient; it is necessary for overall mental health and well-being (Laffier, 2015).

There was a need to create a definition and framework of digital wellness from a psychological lens that would benefit therapeutic and psycho-educational practices, including those in education (Loos, 2017; McMahon & Aiken, 2015; Rob, 2016). Therefore, the purpose of this research was to create a framework to inform policy and education, and treatment in the area of digital wellness. An easy-to-use framework that could be used by parents, educators, or mental health workers was desired to assist from multiple environments and take a holistic approach to care. The author of this study took a multi-disciplinary approach to research, conducting an expansive literature review and utilizing professional practice experience over ten years to explore technology's impacts on people’s mental health, including psychological moderators and mediators, as well as intervention and prevention measures. Using grounded theory, a new framework for digital wellness was created: the Psychological Digital Wellness Model (P-DW). This paper highlights the literature review findings, the new framework's components, and how it can inform educational and psychological practices to support student and educator well-being.

Keywords: Digital wellness, mental health, students, teachers, learning, success.