Building a Digital Well-Being Culture in High School

Nearly 1 in 3 teens say they are “almost constantly” on social media, according to a Pew Research Center survey from December 2023.

Kids, with developing brains and susceptible minds, are among the most vulnerable online - and many products exploit this vulnerability. The average student spends more time in the digital world than they do offline; how they navigate technology has a direct impact on their spiritual, academic, physical, social and emotional development. 

Our mission at JOMO(campus) is digital well-being for every student, empowering school communities to deepen learning and engage with technology in healthy ways that allow for joy, connection, focus, and flourishing to happen in classrooms, hallways and homes.

Global Phone Free School Movement

Young users deserve to understand how the platforms and apps they frequent operate to create healthy habits of use. However, as the Center for Humane Technology advocates, the responsibility shouldn’t solely be on users or their teachers or guardians. There’s a clear need for designing these products with user wellbeing and safety a priority from day one.

Thanks to the efforts of US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Jean Twenge, Jonathan Haidt and his highly anticipated book The Anxious Generation, and the UK’s Screen-free Childhood movement, 2024 saw a global shift towards phone-free schools with the goals of:

• Providing a focused learning space

• Supporting student well-being and opportunities to make friendships

• Fostering authentic presence for both students and teachers rather than distracted minds

However, phone-free classrooms are only the first step to creating a school-wide digital well-being culture.


Only the First Step to Building a Digital Wellness Culture

JOMO is the joy of missing out on the right things—life-taking things like FOMO, social comparison, and digitally driven distraction—to make space for what matters most. We are all going to navigate technology for the rest of our lives -- but we get to decide how.

Dr. Lynn Swaner says, “JOMO is a movement! C. S. Lewis wrote, ‘All joy reminds. It is never a possession, always a desire for something longer ago or further away or still about to be.’’ Christina Crook’s book, The Joy of Missing Out, is a faithful reflection on technology use, living a full and spiritual life, and building real community.”

It is this movement we are thrilled to be bringing to high school communities worldwide — equipping staff, students and families with the technology principles and practices they need for life.

Creating a digital well-being culture on school campuses requires strategic and sustained commitment over multiple years. An integrated digital wellness plan galvanizes students, faculty, families and administration with a common language, consistent messages and opportunities for community action.


Our Program Fills the Gap

The JOMO program encourages students to disconnect from digital distractions and engage more meaningfully with their surroundings, promoting mental well-being and fostering community.

The JOMO Digital Well-being Program is comprised of the following core elements:

1. Staff Education

Staff education is the first step to building a digitally well culture, building team ownership of the school’s technology use philosophy, policies, procedures, and agency in implementation.

2. Student Education

Our digital well-being program is focused on student empowerment, teaching students principles and practices that will help them wisely navigate technology for life. Young users deserve to understand how the platforms and apps they frequent operate to create healthy habits of use.

3. Parent Education

No matter a school’s technology policies, consistent family partnership is needed to build parental solidarity to support the development of digitally well high school graduates. Healthy family relationships allow parents to have more influence over their children’s choices, support healthy overall development in their children, and implement the recommendations from the JOMO digital well-being program successfully.

4. Joyful Campus-wide Campaigns (posters, phone boxes, student incentives)

Our evidence-based program is delivered through the world’s #1 AI-powered social learning platform helping:

• Helping students think critically about technology and the positive impacts of reducing screen time.

• Establishing digital well-being as a strategic school priority

• Integrating campus approaches to technology that support student connectedness, mental health and academic focus

• Creating a digital well-being culture that supports staff, students and families

Take a look at our High School Case Study to see how JOMO can come to life at your school.