Chapter 7: The Contribution of Digital Ecosystems to Adolescent Well-Being

In an increasingly digital society, the current generations of youth (i.e., “Gen Z” and “Gen Alpha”) have grown up in a world in which a digital presence is becoming increasingly integrated with their daily activities. While previous generations might have used phrases like IRL (i.e., In Real Life) to differentiate between their online and offline lives, for these recent generations of young people, online and offline experiences form a tapestry of interwoven experiences that shape their activities, interactions, identities, and ultimately their well-being. The implications of COVID-19 have also reshaped our relationships to digital technologies, especially social technologies (e.g., social media platforms and other online communication modalities), in ways that will have an enduring, although unpredictable, impact on youth lives and well-being.