/mental-health-and-substance-use-(msd)/mental-health-(mhe)/boys-are-playing-games-on-smartphones-and-tablets.tmb-1920v.jpg?sfvrsn=56d6b2a9_1)
India. Gujarat. Surat. Hira Bazar. Boys are playing games on smartphones and tablets, in a sideline of Surat’s Hira Bazar (diamond market).
Digital environments and mental health
Digital environments offer unprecedented opportunities for accessing information, connecting across distances, and engaging in interactive and immersive experiences. At the same time they are reshaping how people work, learn, communicate, and connect. For mental health, these changes bring both opportunities and risks, particularly for young people.
Recognizing this, the World Health Organization works to understand how digital environments influence mental health and well-being across the life course. WHO supports research, policy development, and disseminating evidence-based information to help ensure that digital environments contribute positively to mental health and harms are flagged.
Why digital environments matter for mental health
Digital environments are now embedded in daily life. Their impact on mental health can be both positive and negative. They can strengthen connection, learning, and access to services. But they can also expose users to harmful content (including marketing of products like alcohol), heighten risks of excessive use and addictive behaviours (such as gambling or gaming), and contribute to a range of mental health conditions, including depression and eating disorders, and suicide in the worst case. They may also contribute to other serious problems such as online violence, sexual exploitation, cyberbullying and isolation. Policies and interventions that promote safe, healthy, and supportive digital experiences are essential.
WHO’s work on digital environments and mental health
WHO works with researchers, governments, and international partners to strengthen the global evidence base of helpful and harmful content and support policies that promote healthy digital environments.
Key areas of work include:
- improving understanding of how digital environments influence mental health across the life course, including risks and protective factors;
- informing policies and guidance that promote healthy digital behaviours;
- encouraging safe and responsible digital platform design;
- promoting international collaboration on digital environments and mental health; and
- supporting prevention, identification and management of conditions related to mental health, substance use and addictive behaviours, including gaming and gambling.
Featured
/mental-health-and-substance-use-(msd)/mental-health-(mhe)/addressing-the-digital-determinants-of-youth-mental-health-and-well-being-policy-brief-cover.jpg?sfvrsn=bb639c6a_3 "Cover image - Addressing the digital determinants of youth mental health and well-being: policy brief")
/mental-health-and-substance-use-(msd)/mental-health-(mhe)/a-focus-on-adolescent-social-media-use-and-gaming-in-europe-central-asia-and-canada-cover.jpg?sfvrsn=b6b39baf_3 "Cover - A focus on adolescent social media use and gaming in Europe, central Asia and Canada")
/mental-health-and-substance-use-(msd)/mental-health-(mhe)/public-health-implications-of-excessive-use-of-the-internet-computers-smartphones-meeting-report-cover.jpg?sfvrsn=5686bc36_3 "Cover - Public Health Implications of Excessive Use of the Internet, Computers, Smartphones and Similar Electronic Devices Meeting report")
/mental-health-and-substance-use-(msd)/mental-health-(mhe)/digital-marketing-of-alcohol-cover.jpg?sfvrsn=c43d94aa_3 "Cover - Digital marketing of alcohol")
Publications and resources
Selected WHO publications
This landmark report from the WHO Commission on Social Connection highlights that social isolation and loneliness are widespread, with serious but under-recognized...
WHO has long recommended marketing restrictions in the contexts of tobacco and nicotine products, alcoholic beverages, foods and beverages with respect...
Preventing suicide: a resource for media professionals, update 2023
There is evidence that media reports about suicide can enhance or weaken suicide prevention efforts. Widely disseminated stories of death by suicide are...
Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age
Early childhood is a period of rapid physical and cognitive development and a time during which a child’s habits are formed and...
WHO factsheets, news articles and related pages