Connected Minds, Inclusive Futures: Bridging Digital Gaps in Higher Education

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-976-6_3How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Digital Learning; Inclusive Education; Adolescent Mental Health; Policy Implication

Abstract

The inclusion of digital media in higher education has proven to be a critical determinant of equitable learning opportunities, particularly in an era marked by rapid technological advancement. The accessibility of digital tools, reliable connectivity to the internet combined with adequate digital literacy skills, ensures that students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds can participate fully in academic activities. However, persistent disparities—often termed the “digital divide”—continue to affect marginalized and rural populations, thereby hindering their academic success and long-term personal development. Bridging this gap in future education requires strategic investments in infrastructure, inclusive curriculum design, and targeted support systems that address not only technical proficiency but also students’ emotional and social needs. For adolescents, who are at a sensitive stage of cognitive, social, and emotional growth, digital exclusion can exacerbate feelings of isolation, academic stress, and reduced self-efficacy, contributing to negative mental health outcomes. Conversely, a digitally inclusive higher education ecosystem fosters connectedness, resilience, and confidence, providing adolescents with the skills and support needed to thrive academically and psychologically. By ensuring universal access, promoting digital competence, and integrating mental health support within educational frameworks, future education can narrow the digital gap while safeguarding and enhancing adolescent mental well-being.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Soumik Mukherjee
AU  - Shreeja Dey
AU  - Jhuma Mukhopadhyay
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/29
TI  - Connected Minds, Inclusive Futures: Bridging Digital Gaps in Higher Education
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Intelligent Information Systems Design and Indian Knowledge System Applications (ICISDIKSA 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 27
EP  - 44
SN  - 1951-6851
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-976-6_3
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-976-6_3
ID  - Mukherjee2025
ER  -