Proposal we develop: Balancing Adolescents’ Leisure Activities and Navigating Cognitive and Educational outcomes

BALANCE is a 36-month Horizon Europe research project exploring how adolescents’ leisure use of digital tools — including smartphones, social media, gaming, and online communication — affects learning, attention, motivation, social relationships, and mental well-being.

The project responds to a major policy challenge: schools and families are under pressure to regulate digital device use, but current evidence is often based on self-reported screen time and does not clearly show what works, for whom, and under which conditions. BALANCE will move beyond simplistic “ban or allow” approaches by examining the quality, timing, context, and intensity of digital leisure activities.

Through a multi-country research design, BALANCE will combine quantitative analysis, real-world school policy comparison, and participatory work with students, parents, educators, and inclusion experts. Particular attention will be given to vulnerable groups, including neurodivergent students and students with disabilities, to ensure that future digital policies are protective without being exclusionary.

The project will generate practical recommendations and user-friendly tools to support evidence-based decision-making by policymakers, schools, and families. Its ambition is to help Europe move towards balanced, inclusive, and scientifically grounded digital education policies that protect young people’s well-being while recognising the positive potential of digital engagement.