Navigating the digital maze: understanding the interplay of digital skills and knowledge, online risks, and mental wellbeing among young people

As young people's digital skills grow, online risks often co-occur and these can negatively impact their mental wellbeing, which is a pressing societal concern. We studied the relationships between digital skills and digital knowledge, overall exposure to online risks and the mental wellbeing of young people, introducing a novel perspective in assessing the multifaceted nature of digital skills. We used ySKILLS longitudinal data from six European countries: Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Portugal from 10,819 participants (Mean age = 14.93, boys = 51.36%, girls = 48.64%). Results indicated that young people's higher levels of information navigation and processing skills, as well as communication and interaction skills, reduced their exposure to online risks. These skills were also positively linked to mental wellbeing, even when exposure to online risks served as an intermediary between skills and mental wellbeing. Conversely, higher levels of technical and operational skills, content creation and production skills, and digital knowledge increased exposure to online risks. Moreover, technical and operational skills were negatively linked to mental wellbeing, and the relationship remained negative even when exposure to online risks played a mediating role. Content creation and production skills, and digital knowledge, did not initially show a direct association with mental wellbeing, but the relationship became negative when exposure to online risks was introduced as a mediating factor. These findings emphasise the dual nature of digital skills and the importance of identifying how each digital skill contributes to young people's mental health.