The Pressure to Connect: Tackling Digital Stress and Addiction Project Brought Digital Wellbeing to the Local Community

The Erasmus+ KA153 – Mobility of Youth Workers project “The Pressure to Connect: Tackling Digital Stress and Addiction” (Project No: 2025-3-ES02-KA153-YOU-000369026) was implemented in Navarra, Spain, between 20 and 27 April 2026, under the coordination of Asociación Tecnología Ética. Bringing together youth workers from different countries, the project aimed to address digital stress, technology addiction, and the promotion of healthy digital habits through non-formal education and international cooperation. As the programme progressed, participants focused on sharing the knowledge gained throughout the week with the local community and gathering public perspectives on digital wellbeing. They had the opportunity to bring the project’s key messages beyond the training room and into public spaces through a series of dissemination activities.

The day began with the energising “Digital Youth Worker Bingo” activity coordinated by Türkiye. Through this interactive game, participants reflected on their experiences as youth workers in the digital age while strengthening communication, cooperation, and team spirit among the international group.

Later, participants moved to a local park where they carried out “A Digital Wellbeing Pop-Up” activity. Using posters, banners, and visual materials prepared during previous sessions, they engaged directly with local citizens in conversations about technology use, digital stress, and healthy digital habits. These exchanges allowed participants to both raise awareness and gather valuable insights from the community regarding digital wellbeing challenges.

Another public activity, “The Digital Mood Map,” invited citizens to identify places within the city where they felt digitally overwhelmed and locations where they felt disconnected from digital pressures. The resulting visual map provided a unique representation of the community’s perceptions of digital wellbeing while also introducing participants to innovative public engagement methods.

The day concluded with “The Wish Tree” activity, which encouraged citizens to write their wishes and aspirations for a healthier relationship with technology on colourful notes and attach them to a symbolic tree. This creative initiative connected the project’s themes with the hopes and experiences of local residents while promoting positive and solution-oriented discussions around technology use.

Through these activities, youth workers strengthened their competencies in community engagement, public awareness raising, and the effective communication of digital wellbeing concepts to diverse audiences.