Assessing the Digital Well-Being of Student-Catechists: Pathways to Effective Cyber-Evangelization

In today's digital era, catechists play an increasingly important role in utilizing digital platforms for evangelization and maintaining their overall digital well-being. Student-catechists can engage with their peers and younger generations through various digital platforms, enhancing their role in cyber-evangelization. This allows them to communicate the good news of salvation while collaborating with communities to interact with others; however, it is essential to ensure that their physical, mental, spiritual, social, intellectual, privacy, and safety are safeguarded while utilizing digital technology. This study aimed to assess the digital well-being of 15 student-catechists at the Notre Dame Center for Catechesis (NDCFC) in Cotabato City, Philippines during the academic year 2024-25. A descriptive quantitative research design was used, and the primary data-gathering tool was an adopted survey questionnaire. The student-respondents' assessments of their digital well-being were quantified using numerical values. The results showed that the student-catechists generally made positive assessments of their digital well-being, but identified areas that require improvement, particularly in the physical-digital well-being domain. It was recommended that student-catechists maintain a healthy digital identity and possess the necessary skills to navigate digital hazards. A digital well-being framework was proposed for implementation by NDCFC and other catechetical centers. Keywords: assessment, cotabato philippines, cyber-evangelization, digital well-being, student-catechist