Back in the 18th century, commentators were busy raising the alarm at a concerning epidemic affecting young people: the dangerous “fever” of reading too many books.
That’s something to bear in mind as we engage with current debates around smartphones and the idea of banning them in schools. Blaming technology for problems is nothing new, but I’d like to advocate for a more measured approach.
We worry about screen time, but it’s what young people are being fed through their screens that we really need to focus on.
That’s why a new report from University College London and the Association of School and College Leaders, published this month, using the metaphor of nutrition. Just as we teach young people to make healthy food choices, digital nutrition encourages balanced engagement with technology and social platforms.
The and accompanying are designed to help teachers of key stages 3 and 4 to understand what healthy consumption of technology is and what it isn’t. The aim is to encourage young people to be more critical, learning to recognise and challenge the origins of what they see on their screens and develop healthier habits.
What is digital nutrition?
So, where did the idea of “digital nutrition” come from? The approach is founded in research. In 2024, along with the University of Kent, showing how social media algorithms very quickly differentiate the material in teenage boys’ feeds to amplify extreme misogynistic content, compared with teenage girls’ feeds.
Young people interviewed for the research expressed real frustration at existing approaches to digital safety, which are too simplistic, ignoring the reality and the complexity of their digital lives. They described how technology is now woven into their education, safety and social connections. There is a “paradox of digital relationships” whereby the same devices that keep them safe can expose them to harm.
The 2024 report also revealed worrying gaps in digital literacy among parents and teachers that can leave young people vulnerable when they encounter problems online. This underscores the need for teachers, schools and families to all feel more confident in this area and, importantly, to be aligned in their support.
A digital ‘food pyramid’
To help with this, the ASCL and UCL Digital Nutrition resources go hand in hand with a new book, called Smartphone nation: why we’re all addicted to screens and what you can do about it. This is aimed at parents and written by Kaitlyn Regehr, an associate professor at UCL.
But what exactly does a healthier digital diet look like? The framework is clear that not all digital consumption is equal. It categorises digital activities into a structure that is reminiscent of the food pyramid - which visualises the proportion of your diet that each food group should make up.
At the broad base, we have “education and learning” (roughly equivalent to fruit and vegetables). This is followed by “creativity”, “communication”, “participation” and, in the smallest section, at the very top of the pyramid, “passive” consumption (equivalent to foods that are high in sugar, salt and fat).
This visual framework illustrates how a healthy digital diet involves balance across these categories, limiting passive consumption and putting greater focus on active, educational and creative engagement.
Promoting agency
Rather than positioning young people as passive recipients of protection, this framework encourages critical thinking and agency. The resources include concrete activities that make abstract concepts, such as algorithmic patterns, accessible and actionable, and provide strategies to help students take control of their digital experiences.
The approach recommends involving students as “digital leaders” who act as advocates for their peers and help make the exercises further relevant to young people’s actual experiences.
The teachers’ guide likewise supports a flexible approach to digital education, with content being easy to adapt to make it more relevant for your own school community.
The resources complement existing computer science curriculum requirements around digital literacy while also supporting PSHE education on online safety. While IT or PSHE lessons might be natural homes for these materials, conversations about healthy digital habits are relevant right across school.
With revised RSHE and KCSIE guidance, schools are under more pressure than ever to safeguard children online. The digital nutrition framework reiterates that schools cannot tackle this problem alone, and shows how important it is to foster critical digital citizenship, rather than just enforce compliance with screen time rules and phone bans.
This goes beyond digital literacy. Digital nutrition supports the development of sustainable healthy habits and provides a foundation for engaging parents and the wider school community.
Margaret Mulholland is the special educational needs and inclusion specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders
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