Digital Media and Adolescent Well-being: Observational Insights and Policy Implications

This essay examines the impact of digital media on adolescent learning and behaviour inSpanish classrooms, drawing on ten years of teaching experience, supplemented by familydiscussions and collegial exchanges. Observed declines in attention, self-regulation, andrespectful peer interaction are interpreted through Papalia’s metacognitive developmentframework and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. Longitudinal analyses demonstrateassociations between elevated screen time and mental health symptoms, including depressionand ADHD (ABCD Study, 2024), while systematic reviews link excessive digital exposurewith diminished emotional well-being (BMC Psychology, 2023). A COVID-erameta-analysis reported a 52% increase in adolescent screen time (JAMA Pediatrics, 2022),and recent work in BMC Public Health (2025) identifies pandemic-related sedentarybehaviours in school-age children. These insights inform practical strategies and policyrecommendations aimed at fostering adolescent well-being in digitally saturated classrooms.