Digital hygiene as a component of cyberculture in the educational environment

Abstract

Abstract. It’s strange to think that just ten years ago, most studying still happened with books and notebooks. Now, everything — from classes to friendships — passes through screens. Digital tools have made learning faster and more open, but also a bit more exhausting. Sometimes it feels like we’re online all the time, and it’s easy to forget what “offline” even means. That’s where the idea of digital hygiene really matters — not as a set of boring rules, but as a way to stay balanced in a noisy digital world. The goal of this paper is simple: to explore how healthy digital habits can become part of everyday educational culture. In my view, digital hygiene is not about avoiding the internet, but about learning to live with it wisely. It’s about checking what we read before we share, knowing when to take a break from screens, and treating others online the same way we’d like to be treated face to face. Aybazova and Karasova (2021) point out that ignoring these habits can lead to stress and even isolation among students. I’ve noticed that myself — after long online classes or endless chats, people just get tired, even if they haven’t done much “real” work. Similarly, Zou et al. (2025) mention that to use technology well, we also need emotional awareness and ethical reflection. In other words, we must think not only what we do online, but also how and why. From my perspective, digital hygiene in education could start with small but meaningful changes: – creating “screen-free” moments during study; – encouraging honest and kind online communication; – teaching students how to manage attention and information flow; – and reminding everyone that technology is supposed to help us learn, not drain us. But these changes only work if the whole community supports them. It’s hard for students to follow healthy digital habits when teachers send messages at midnight or when the university expects constant online presence. So, it’s not just a personal issue — it’s a cultural one. Armoogum et al. (2023) also argue that institutions should model responsible digital behavior, because people learn not from instructions but from examples.