How Digital Well-Being and Generative AI Achieve Student Academic Success and Sustainable Development Goals

This study examines how digital well-being and generative AI adoption contribute to English as a Foreign language (EFL) students' academic success and engagement with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, data were collected from 440 participants through validated scales measuring digital well-being, AI usage, learning engagement, academic performance, and SDG awareness. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyze the relationships between these constructs while assessing the model's predictive validity and robustness. The findings reveal that both digital well-being and generative AI significantly enhance EFL learning engagement, which in turn drives academic success. Furthermore, academic achievement positively influences students' SDG awareness, highlighting the interconnectedness of digital education and sustainability outcomes. The study identifies learning engagement as a critical mediator between technology-enhanced learning and academic performance. These results underscore the importance of integrating digital wellness strategies and AI literacy into educational frameworks to foster both scholastic achievement and global citizenship. These are achieved by designing curricula and pedagogies that simultaneously teach students to manage their digital lives for effective learning, and equip them to leverage and critique advanced technologies to understand and act upon the world's most pressing challenges.