MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Native Youth Digital-Wellness Report Finds Technology Deeply Embedded in Daily Life

PRIOR LAKE, MN (July 21, 2026)  A Minnesota initiative examining technology’s effects on Native young people has found widespread concern about digital media’s influence on mental, physical and social well-being.

The work was developed through the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s IndigeFit Kids campaign in partnership with LiveMore ScreenLess.

Researchers and community partners gathered perspectives from Native youth, families, educators and professionals who work closely with young people.

Approximately 90 percent of respondents said addressing technology and digital-media use was more important than other issues confronting Native youth, according to findings highlighted by project organizers.

Benefits and Risks Coexist

Participants reported overwhelmingly negative effects on physical and mental health, but they also recognized that technology offers important benefits.

Digital platforms help young people communicate, access information, complete schoolwork, find entertainment and maintain connections across geographic distances.

For Native youth, online spaces may provide access to cultural information and relationships that are not always readily available in schools or surrounding communities.

At the same time, excessive or unhealthy use may affect sleep, physical activity, concentration, self-image and emotional well-being.

The findings suggest that simply telling young people to abandon technology is neither realistic nor sufficient. Digital tools are already woven into education, friendship, identity and daily communication.

Culturally Relevant Resources Needed

Educators and youth professionals reported dissatisfaction with the strategies currently available to address digital well-being.

Barriers include limited culturally appropriate materials, competing demands inside schools and youth programs, and the rapid pace at which platforms and online behaviors change.

As part of the response, educators and youth professionals attended a workshop at Mystic Lake Center. Participants received training designed to help them understand digital well-being and apply practical strategies in classrooms, programs and communities.

The initiative emphasizes balance and informed use rather than treating technology as entirely harmful or entirely beneficial.

Sources: MPR News, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and Red Lake Nation News

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