Children and young people are often labelled the “digital generation”, naturally equipped with the skills to reap the benefits of digitised education, working life and communication through social media now and in the future. However, this age group’s use of information and communication technology (ICT) is not uniform, nor are the outcomes of their adaption to ICT. Shaped by their social environment and socioeconomic conditions, the potential benefits of children’s and young people’s ICT use may vary greatly, contributing to increased inequalities that exacerbate vulnerability for some while promoting health and well-being for others. This paper presents a protocol for conceptualising, systematically identifying and synthesising the literature on which conditions contribute to children and young people being negatively or positively impacted by their use of ICT. Here, children and young people are seen as social actors in four domains of their everyday lives illustrated through the digital ecosystem: family, leisure, education and civic participation. This protocol’s overview of the actors’ navigation within and across the different domains and potential for studying the interactions between the different spheres of the ecosystem may advance the understanding of both the risks and benefits facing children and young people in their digital lives.

This literature review adds to the existing literature on the relationships between young people’s use of digital technology and their well-being by investigating how perceived excessive use of the Internet in one social setting may increase a person’s well-being in a different social setting. By combining clinical-psychological and digital literacy perspectives on well-being with a theoretical framework focussing on human vulnerability and the protective potential of human agency, the review’s thematic synthesis of 21 studies between 2011 and 2021 supports previous research suggesting that digital engagement can be a coping strategy for young people experiencing problems. First, the analysis examines how young people’s activity across social contexts represented by family, leisure, school and a digital space for democratic participation may affect their predefined roles as children or students, and how new possibilities for development and learning emerge. Second, the discussion combines the clinical-psychological and digital literacy perspectives for a deeper understanding of how young people’s agency may help them overcome different sources of vulnerability as obstacles to well-being. Thus, the review nuances the discussion on digital technology and well-being to understand what this technology represents to young people as they navigate, negotiate and struggle with the normal pitfalls of life.