July 2026
We are living in an age marked by the emergence of a new environment.
Over the past few decades, digital technologies have evolved from tools with specific purposes into ecosystems where billions of people socialize, work, play, and access information. Innovations such as the internet and social media create virtual spaces where much of the world’s population now spends a significant portion of their daily lives. Younger generations are particularly impacted by digital transformations, being born into an environment of instant and constant digital connectivity, with most Canadian youth spending an average of five to seven hours a day on screens[1],[2], and 84% reporting using Instagram[3].
In recent years, digital environments have become a population and public health priority. Children and youth are undergoing critical periods of social, emotional, and cognitive development while growing up in digitally connected environments. Digital environments can create important opportunities for youth mental wellbeing. This includes greater access to mental health information and services, opportunities to express themselves creatively, and participation in geographically distributed communities of shared interest. However, concerns have been raised about risks such as problematic use, cyberbullying, problematic marketing practices, exposure to harmful content, sleep disruption, and reduced physical activity. There has also been a growing recognition that, as with physical or social environments, digital environments are spaces where health is created and undermined[4], giving rise to the concept of digital determinants of health – the ways in which digital technologies, systems, and experiences influence health outcomes and health equity.
A mental health promotion approach encourages us to look beyond individual behaviours to the broader conditions that impact mental wellbeing. Responsibility for health outcomes influenced by digital environments should not be placed only on young people and their families. Rather, the design, governance, and commercial interests that shape these environments must also be recognized as important influences on health and wellbeing.
To support understanding and upstream action in this emerging field, we are pleased to introduce a new annotated resource category of the KDE Hub website: Understanding the Digital Determinants of Child and Youth Mental Health. Created with mental health promotion in mind, this collection brings together resources that describe the concept of digital determinants of health, provide an overview of impacts on child and youth mental health, and explore upstream strategies to foster healthy digital environments for young Canadians.
[1] Poirier, K., Gauvin, L., Haddad, S., Bélanger, R. E., Leatherdale, S. T., & Turcotte-Tremblay, A. M. (2024). Evolution of sleep duration and screen time between 2018 and 2022 among Canadian adolescents: evidence of drifts accompanying the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Adolescent Health, 74(5), 980-988.
[2] Brunton, C., Boco, E., Facette, T., & Pinault, L. (2026). Does Screen Time Make a Difference? A Longitudinal Study of Youth Screen Time and Well-Being. Insights on Canadian Society. Catalogue No. 75-006-X. Statistics Canada.
[3] Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC). 2025. Associations between social media use, personal screen time, and mental health indicators among Canadian youth.
[4] Kickbusch, I. (2024, November 21). Digitalization as a growing determinant of health and well-being: Getting it right [Keynote address]. 14th Global Forum for Health Promotion