Contents
Exploring Digital Habits, Identity & Well-being
Mapping my digital day invites young people (13+) to explore their digital habits, daily routines, and emotional relationships with technology in a reflective yet accessible way.
Designed for use in youth work, education, or informal learning settings, the method supports participants in identifying how their use of devices and platforms connects to their identity, well-being, and social interactions. The approach combines self-awareness tools (e.g., digital diaries or "digital landscape" drawings) with playful reflection formats. In example, a humorous self-assessment quiz á la "What Kind of Digital Creature Are You?".
Participants are encouraged to map out their daily digital use, reflect on feelings triggered by specific behaviours, and discuss how they can build more conscious, empowering relationships with technology. The ultimate goal is to support digital well-being by promoting emotional awareness, balance, and agency. This method is particularly effective when integrated into broader discussions on digital identity, mental health, and digital citizenship, and can be adapted for both group and individual work.
Goals
- Raise awareness of everyday digital habits and their impact on well-being.
- Explore how digital routines reflect identity, values, and emotions.
- Encourage conscious engagement with technology, beyond stereotypes and moral panic.
- Promote empathy and shared understanding in digital culture.
Steps
Step 1: Introduction (10–15 min)
Begin with a brief introduction about the proposal to discussion about digital habits and behavious and how they make feel: digital habits reflect wider social patterns and emotional needs.
Step 2: Create Your Digital Day Map (25–30 min)
Invite participants to map their typical digital day using one of these tools:
Option A: Digital Day Diary
Divide the day into blocks (morning, afternoon, evening, night). For each block, ask:
- What devices are used?
- For what purpose (school/work, social, entertainment, etc.)?
- What platforms or apps are involved?
- What feelings are associated (relaxed, bored, anxious, connected, excluded...)?
Option B: Digital Landscape Drawing
Ask participants to draw a visual “map” of their digital environment—e.g., apps, games, platforms, communication styles—showing:
- The most visited “places” (platforms)
- The emotional climate (e.g., zones of stress, comfort, excitement...)
- Who is “there” with them (peers, influencers, communities...)
- Their role/identity in that space (observer, creator, supporter, etc.)
Option C: Quiz - What Kind of Digital Creature Are You?
A playful quiz to uncover your digital habits—and how they make you feel. Use humor and relatable scenarios to help participants reflect on how they interact with technology, how often, and what emotional states are linked to their digital lifestyle.
- Print the quiz or read it aloud in a group.
- Ask participants to answer honestly—no right or wrong answers!
- Afterward, group participants by "type" or let them discuss their results in pairs or small groups.
Sample Quiz Questions
Participants choose A, B, C, or D
1. It’s midnight and you’re still scrolling… what are you doing?
A. Watching cat videos and laughing. Again.
B. Refreshing your notifications and wondering why no one’s replying.
C. Reading the comments on a political meme. Bad idea.
D. I’m asleep—I switched off at 10 PM. #DigitalZen
2. You post a selfie and get only 3 likes in an hour. You...
A. Delete it. Obviously.
B. Keep checking every 5 minutes.
C. Laugh about it with your friend and move on.
D. Didn’t even notice—I post for me, not for likes.
3. Your phone is dead. What’s your first reaction?
A. Panic. Where’s the charger?!
B. Freedom! Let’s run in the woods.
C. Hmm. Who was I supposed to message again...?
D. I always carry a power bank—this would never happen.
4. You’ve had a long day. What digital comfort do you turn to?
A. Mindless scrolling—it’s a ritual.
B. Playing games or watching streamers.
C. Chatting with someone who really “gets” me.
D. No screen. I prefer journaling or music.
Possible Result Types
Each reflects digital behavior types, with a mix of potential and pitfalls)
The Eternal Scroller
Knows everything happening online, but often feels drained. Needs a break to breathe.
The Notification Hunter
Feeds on digital dopamine. Loves connection but risks tying self-worth to responses.
The Ghost Mode Zen Master
Minimalist and mindful—great balance, but sometimes disconnected from peers.
The Content Collector
Learns a lot and is super curious, but may risk brainrot and content overload.
Discussion Prompts After the Quiz:
- Did your result feel accurate? Why or why not?
- What emotions do you link most to your digital habits—joy, stress, boredom?
- Would you change anything in your digital routine after this quiz?
- Do different moods lead you to different “digital creature” behaviors?
Step 3: Small Group Discussion (15–20 min)
In small groups, participants share insights from their map/diary using guiding questions:
- What patterns did you notice?
- What digital habits feel energizing or draining?
- Are there routines you’d like to change?
- How do your digital spaces reflect who you are—or want to be?
Reflection
Facilitator-led reflection in plenary:
- How does digital life intersect with your values, goals, and well-being?
- In what ways do you adapt yourself for platforms (e.g., the “algorithmic self”)?
- How can digital tools better serve who you are, instead of shaping you unconsciously?
Optional creative activity:
- “One thing I want to change in my digital day…”
- Write or draw a personal intention, commitment, or question for future reflection.
Handbook: More than Go with the Flow
- A handbook on Digital Citizenship Education, created in the frame of the project DIYW-ROAD/Competendo. Digital Youth Work - rights-sensitive, open, accessible, democratic.
- Unless otherwise stated, authors and editors of the methods published in the project are Elisa Rapetti, Markus José Plasencia Kanzler, and Nils-Eyk Zimmermann
