Sylwia Korsak, digital wellbeing consultant and social media community champion, OTR Bristol Visit the CharityComms website to view slides from past events, see what events we have coming up and to check out what else we do: www.charitycomms.org.uk

1. HOW TECHNOLOGY IS
AFFECTING YOUR BRAIN
– WHAT WE ACTUALLY KNOW
WELLBEING IN CHARITY
COMMUNICATIONS
@SylwiaKorsak @VoxelHub

2. "Wellbeing refers to our sense of self and our ability to live our lives as closely as possible to
the way we want to. It encapsulates the abilities to have positive relationships, promote
healthy living and feel life satisfaction."
"Digital wellbeing requires reflection on how digital technologies have an impact on our
emotions, relationships, and sense of self. This can’t simply be distilled to a tick box set of
skills; it needs to be underpinned by a knowledge of digital society and the measurable
elements of wellbeing. We need to have an understanding of the design principles
underpinning the digital technologies we use - the data that we share. This will then enable us
to make informed and critical decisions about the use of different technologies to promote
both our own wellbeing and that of others."
via Future Learn, Digital Wellbeing Course (University of York)
DIGITAL WELLBEING -
DEFINITION

3. Core digital wellbeing challenges:
Screens
Screen time
Evening screen time and sleep
Detox and disconnect / re-connect
Online safety
Online bullying and trolling
Digital safeguarding
Online equality/identity
Digital overload
FOMO
Impact of social media on wellbeing
Selfie and body image
Addictive behaviour
Impact of online games
Micropayments in games
Gaming Disorder (WHO)
"Digital wellbeing is often defined in terms of the capabilities and skills that an individual requires to successfully
make use of digital technologies." - via Future Learn, Digital Wellbeing Course (University of York)

4. Food for Thought
SUSAN GREENFIELD
‘Firstly, the human brain adapts
to the environment; secondly,
the environment is changing in
an unprecedented way; so
thirdly, the brain may also be
changing in an unprecedented
way.'
Photo @bretkavanaugh /@unsplash

5. SCREENS
WE ASSUME:
Screen time is generally bad for our health
Excessive screen time is very damaging for our health
Evening screen time affects our sleep quality (blue light)
We need to spend more time offline and disconnect from devices
Scientific studies support those statements
WE KNOW:
"The evidence base for a direct ‘toxic’ effect of screen time is contested, and the
evidence of harm is often overstated. The majority of the literature that does
exist looks only at television screen time.Evidence is weak for a threshold to
guide children and parents to the appropriate level of screen time, and we are
unable to recommend a cut-off for children's screen time overall.Many of the
apparent connections between screen time and adverse effects may be mediated
by lost opportunities for positive activities (socialising, exercise, sleep) that are
displaced by screen time."
WE EXPLORE:
"Our primary recommendation is that families should negotiate screen time limits
with their children based upon the needs of an individual child, the ways in which
screens are used and the degree to which use of screens appears to displace (or
not) physical and social activities and sleep. We would also adopt the expert
recommendation that screens are avoided for an hour before the planned
bedtime." Royal College of Peadiatrics and Child Health, 12.2018
https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/health-impacts-screen-time-guide-clinicians-
parents

6. DIGITAL
OVERLOAD
WE ASSUME:
Digital technologies (esp. social media) harm our health.
All online users are overwhelmed with a large volume of content
All online users are overwhelmed with the number of digital platforms
FOMO (fear of missing out) is caused by digital technologies, it leads to depression
People who take selfies are more selfish, become more narcissist
Social media harm our body image
WE KNOW:
Research has done little to settle the argument over whether social media helps
or hinders our connections in 'real life'. Numerous papers, reviews and blogs
have debated the impact of social media on our mental health, and the potential
uses of social media in suicide prevention and depression interventions. And the
jury's still out. [...] The mixed findings within the research represent the
complexity related to these issues. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to the big
question."
WE EXPLORE:
"However, while opinion is divided it’s undeniable that online technologies can
be used to reach the most vulnerable and help to address the issue of stigma in
seeking treatment and engaging with it. " Mental Health Foundation, 01.2017
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/blog/social-media-good-or-bad-mental-
health%20%20

7. ONLINE
SAFETY
WE ASSUME:
Digital platforms are not safe
Bullying is more damaging & prominent online than offline
Online safety is a universal concept
Online safety is well defined, evidenced, regulated and protected by UK law
All online users have similar challenges with safety online
WE KNOW:
"Our inquiry has illuminated the broad spectrum of benefits, risks and harms
that children and young people may encounter via social media and screen-use.
While social media and screen-use is not necessarily creating these risks, it has,
in numerous cases, amplified them."
WE EXPLORE:
- "In order to develop a more valid and reliable understanding of the relationship
between the use of social media by young people, and its effects on their health,
the information asymmetry between tech companies, the Government, other
public bodies and bona fide researchers must be addressed swiftly.
- As children spend an increasing proportion of their life online, there is a
pressing need for the education system to catch up and ensure that young
people are equipped with the skills that they need to navigate, and critically
assess, what they are seeing on social media and beyond.
- Parental engagement can play a vital role in helping children develop ‘digital
resilience’, so that they can confidently identify and judge online risks
themselves. Parents, however, need high-quality support to ensure these
conversations are as effective as possible."
"Impact of social media and screen-use on young people’s health" 01.2019
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmsctech/822/822.pdf

8. ADDICTIVE
BEHAVIOUR
WE ASSUME:
Online games are always addictive
Tech companies are aiming to make us addicted to online games
Online games have detrimental impact on our health
Online gaming has detrimental impact on all gamers
"Gaming addiction" is a confirmed mental health illness/condition
WE KNOW:
"Studies suggest that gaming disorder affects only a small proportion of people
who engage in digital- or video-gaming activities. However, people who partake
in gaming should be alert to the amount of time they spend on gaming activities,
particularly when it is to the exclusion of other daily activities, as well as to any
changes in their physical or psychological health and social functioning that could
be attributed to their pattern of gaming behaviour." - WHO, 09.2018
https://www.who.int/features/qa/gaming-disorder/en/
WE EXPLORE:
Do you feel the loss of control and/or losing the track of time when playing games?
When you are not playing, are you preoccupied with the game?
Have you tried to cut down on gaming? Did it work?
Do you feel you need to play longer for the same level of satisfaction?
Are you using playing games to relieve a bad mood or escape problems?
If you loose access to gaming do you feel angry or irritated?
Does your gaming have negative impact on your physical or mental health?
Does your gaming have negative impact on other areas of your life?
Did any of the above aspects of your gaming last longer than 12 months?

9. “Worry is a way to pretend that you have knowledge or control
over what you don't - and it surprises me, even in myself, how
much we prefer ugly scenarios to the pure unknown"
Rebecca Solmit
Image via @stephenleo1982 via @unsplash

10. Food for Thought
AMY ORBEN, ADREW PRZYBYLSKI
“A new paper by scientists at the University of Oxford, published in
January in Nature Human Behaviour, should help clear up the confusion.
It reveals the pitfalls of the statistical methods scientists have employed
and offers a more rigorous alternative. And, importantly, it uses data on
more than 350,000 adolescents to show persuasively that, at a population
level, technology use has a nearly negligible effect on adolescent
psychological well-being, measured in a range of questions addressing
depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, pro-social behavior, peer-
relationship problems and the like. Technology use tilts the needle less
than half a percent away from feeling emotionally sound. For context,
eating potatoes is associated with nearly the same degree of effect and
wearing glasses has a more negative impact on adolescent mental health.”
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-kids-who-use-tech-seem-
to-be-all-right/
Photo @stereophototyp /@unsplash

11. Food for Thought
NEIL GAIMAN
“But libraries are about freedom.
Freedom to read, freedom of ideas,
freedom of communication.
They are about education (which is not a process that
finishes the day we leave school or university), about
entertainment, about making safe spaces, and about
access to information.”
Photo @fredasem /@unsplash

12. “We can’t see what’s coming. We don’t know where we are
and where we’re going. The key is to stop planning and start
experimenting to understand what CAN be done today.”
Dr. Margaret Heffernan
Photo @aribuga via @unsplash

13. MOVE BEYOND
CONFIRMATION
BIAS
What are my assumptions around digital
wellbeing?
What are my past digital experiences?
How do they affect my views?
What do I read? How does it make me feel
about tech?
Am I willing to actively participate in my
digital wellbeing and seek support?
ASK CRITICAL
QUESTIONS &
EXPERIMENT
What is the sentiment of media
articles/research journals/books I read?
Who wrote them and why? To help me or for
their own agenda? What is the "why"?
How useful is this information for me?
Where can I find the trusted answers I need?
CONTEXTUALISE
YOUR DIGITAL
WELLBEING
How do I feel about my digital activities
(tech, content, connections, identity...)?
What else is going on in my life that might
impact how I feel?
What is causing my distress - something
related to digital technologies or beyond, or
both?
DIGITAL WELLBEING TIPS

14. EXPERIMENT
& ENGAGE WITH
DIGITAL TECH
How can I use digital technologies to improve
my digital wellbeing?
How can I learn more about digital
technologies (and my health) to understand
their impact on me better?
What can I experiment with/try out safely
with friends and other support networks?
What makes me feel unsafe?
COMMUNICATE
YOUR NEEDS
(TEAM MEMBERS)
What are my individual needs when working
with digital technologies? (always, and
nowadays specially)
What do I need to learn more - digital skills,
time management, content and work
productivity, communication with others...?
What support do I need to feel well with
digital technologies and online, to do my
work safely and effectively?
FOSTER SAFETY,
TRUST, RESILIENCE
(LEADERS)
How can I make my team feel safe and
resilient when using digital technologies?
What do we need to do our digital work
effectively without a negative impact on our
health?
What external support or internal training do
we need on this?
How can we best prepare for the unexpected
(crisis or opportunity) online?
DIGITAL WELLBEING TIPS

15. CONTACT & MORE INFO
WEBSITE
voxelhub.org/resources
EMAIL ADDRESS
hello@voxelhub.org
PHONE NUMBER
+44 7469 708776
INSTAGRAM
@voxelhuborg
FACEBOOK
@voxelhub
TWITTER
@voxelhub

16. I am a senior social media and digital wellbeing consultant, coach and counsellor
and the Founder of Voxel Hub – Digital Wellbeing Hub.
Since 2004 I am helping individuals, organisations and brands articulate their stories with the
help of the social web and find the humanity in the digital world. I am a founder
of BarcampNFP and BigosUK . I am also a Community Champion at OTR Bristol, social
movement for young people’s mental health.
Blogging, digital journalism, social media – since 2004
International business support – since 2005
Social media, word of mouth & digital marketing – since 2007
Digital ethics and ethical non-for-profit support – since 2008
Event organising and public speaking – since 2009
Business development and strategy – since 2010
Startups and business leadership – since 2012
Digital resilience and wellbeing, digital family – since 2014
Active listening and counselling – since 2017
Find out more: sylwiakorsak.com
SYLWIA KORSAK
About me:

17. Voxel Hub was founded to open up explorations of digital wellbeing and help you find
the humanity in the digital world. We aim to do it on an individual, but also an organisational
and social level.
Voxel Hub combines over a decade of digital work with a strong focus on online ethics together
with current findings from cyberpsychology, digital families research, counselling and coaching
theory and practice.
Voxel Hub explores digital innovation in the context of cyberpsychology, mental health research
and wellbeing practice.
Find out more over at voxelhub.org
VOXEL HUB
About us

18. Find out more: otrbristol.org.uk
OTR BRISTOL
About us: