Scotland is facing a growing digital wellbeing crisis among its young people — and one edtech founder believes the answer may lie in stepping away from the screen altogether.
Research led by Dr Jo Inchley at the University of Glasgow, conducted as part of a major World Health Organisation study, found that problematic social media use among Scottish 13-year-old girls nearly doubled from 11% to 22% between 2018 and 2022 — one of the worst increases recorded in the study. Scottish 15-year-old girls were also found to be significantly more likely to be in continuous online contact than their international peers (50% versus a 37% global average).
It is against this backdrop that James Tweed, founder of Cambridge-based learning technology company Coracle, is calling on educators, healthcare providers and organisations to fundamentally rethink how digital tools are designed and used — as the UK prepares to mark Mental Health Awareness Week (May 11–17).
Tweed is championing a model he calls “offline-first learning,” where educational experiences are built to function without constant internet access and are specifically designed to minimise digital distraction.
“People assume more technology improves learning, but constant connectivity often does the opposite,” he said. “When you remove the noise — notifications, tabs, feeds — you create the conditions for focus, confidence and calmer thinking, all of which are closely linked to better mental health.”
His comments come amid growing evidence linking excessive screen time and always-on digital environments to increased anxiety, poor concentration and disrupted sleep, particularly among young people. Studies have also found that offline activities can improve attention, memory retention and overall wellbeing.
Tweed said these findings should influence how learning environments are designed, particularly in schools and healthcare settings. “In schools, children are constantly interrupted by digital stimuli, which makes it harder to sustain attention and increases cognitive fatigue,” he said. “Offline-first learning gives them uninterrupted time to think, which is essential not just for education, but for emotional resilience.”
He added that offline tools can also benefit patients in hospitals and other care settings. “When someone is unwell, simplicity matters. Offline tools remove friction and allow people to engage at their own pace, without overwhelm,” he said.
Five Ways Offline Learning Can Support Mental Health
Tweed outlined several ways offline learning can support mental health and called for organisations to take a more intentional approach to technology use:
- Create distraction-free environments that improve focus and reduce cognitive overload
- Encourage deeper thinking and better memory retention
- Reduce anxiety linked to constant notifications and digital comparison
- Support a healthier, more intentional relationship with technology
- Make learning more accessible and less frustrating in low-connectivity environments
Ultimately, Tweed’s message is one of balance rather than rejection. “The goal isn’t to remove technology,” he said. “It’s to design it in a way that works with human psychology, rather than against it.”
With digital wellbeing rising up the public agenda — and Scottish data increasingly pointing to a generation under pressure — Tweed believes offline-first approaches are set to become an increasingly central part of how organisations support both learning and mental health.
James Tweed founded Coracle in 2006. The company operates in some of the world’s most challenging environments, including the maritime industry, prisons and police custody suites. Coracle holds a King’s Award for Enterprise for Promoting Opportunity and became a B Corporation in 2025. Tweed advises the UK government on digital inclusion as a member of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s Digital Inclusion Action Committee.
