HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-TRANSFO-04: The impact of the use of digital tools outside school and for communication on educational outcomes and mental health

Research Expertise and Relevance to the Call: My research focuses on how ubiquitous digital technologies shape attention, behaviour, well-being, and everyday functioning, particularly among adolescents and young adults. I study the complex and context-dependent relationships between smartphone use, social media use, digital distraction, cognitive performance, motivation, and mental health using computational, behavioural, and longitudinal methods.

A major focus of my work concerns the measurement of digital behaviour and the development of more rigorous approaches to studying the potential effects of digital media. My research has included work on smartphone use in educational settings, digital distraction and attentional control, digital well-being, self-regulation, and the validity of self-reported versus logged digital media use, including systematic reviews, meta-analyses, behavioural studies, experience sampling research, and the use of digital trace data methodologies.

This expertise aligns closely with the objectives of the Horizon Europe call. I can contribute policy-relevant research and methodological expertise on:

•        Smartphone, social media, video gaming, and digital leisure use in educational contexts

•        Digital distraction, attention, concentration, and self-regulation

•        Student motivation, study habits, and well-being

•        The measurement of digital media using digital trace data and passive sensing

•        Experience sampling, longitudinal, experimental, and quasi-experimental methods

•        Digital literacy and healthy digital practices, and digital self-regulation