SMYLE: social media and youth loneliness

Feelings of loneliness among young people are deepening as they move further into the digital environment. That’s why, together with foreign partners, we prepared the Erasmus+ KA project SMYLE.

Together with colleagues from Spain, Ireland, and Czechia, we drew on academic data and complemented it with direct experience from working with young people at risk of social exclusion.

Beyond the preparation itself, I facilitated a multi-day strategic meeting of the partners on the research criteria and became the lead author of the methodology document Selected Criteria and Tools. I also coordinated the collection and synthesis of relevant tools and practices from all partners.

The project is built on participatory research, needs mapping, and direct involvement of young people. Rather than being passive research subjects, they become creators of their own measures for a healthier digital life.

The project’s output is a comprehensive analytical and methodological resource. The SMYLE Checklist tool helps practitioners identify safe, high-quality interventions for reducing feelings of loneliness linked to excessive social media use. The output focuses on using freely available activities, shifting attention from the online world back to physical interaction, and peer-to-peer support in a safe environment.

Key topics

• The causes and effects of loneliness on social media.
• Addiction, FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), and the design of social platforms (the attention algorithm).
• The role of psychological safety in educational interventions.
• Digital wellbeing and practical use of the SMYLE Checklist.
• From theoretical literacy to practical, sustainable community solutions.