SMART SCREEN: Shaping Healthier Digital Habits in Adolescents
The SMART SCREEN project is a collaborative initiative by Vincentian Social Services and Loyola College of Social Sciences, Thiruvananthapuram to promote digital wellbeing among school-going adolescents. In response to the growing challenge of screen overuse, the project aims to educate, assess, and support children aged 11–14 in building healthier digital lifestyles.
Increased screen use, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to physical, emotional, and psychological challenges among children. Issues such as cyber dependency, academic delays, emotional disconnection, and family strain have become increasingly visible. Unfortunately, awareness about digital addiction and healthy online behaviour remains low among students and their caregivers.
Rooted in scientific research and community involvement, SMART SCREEN identifies children with excessive or dysfunctional screen habits using a standardized assessment tool developed by NIMHANS. It combines this with interactive awareness sessions for students, parents, and teachers on screen addiction, cyber safety, and responsible technology use.
Children in need of support receive structured therapeutic interventions like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), family counselling, and psychosocial education. To ensure lasting impact, each school establishes a SMART SCREEN Cell—a group of trained students, teachers, and parents who lead digital wellness initiatives on campus.
It goes beyond lectures to include validated assessments, therapeutic support, stakeholder capacity-building, and youth-led advocacy. Its strength lies in its replicable model, its adaptability, and its emphasis on both prevention and recovery.
More than a campaign, SMART SCREEN is a replicable model that empowers children and their caregivers to navigate the digital world with balance, responsibility, and confidence.
