The primary goal of our project was to guide our students back from the virtual world to the real one, or in other words, to offer them an appealing alternative to the digital realm. For the students participating in the project, we aimed to significantly reduce their time spent on the internet, which in turn would help develop their skills and competencies, thereby improving their academic performance. This led to another key objective of our project: enhancing the core competencies of the participating students. Consequently, we also aimed to equip teachers to recognize, understand, and address this issue within their means. To support this, we created educational materials to explore and present the topic. Additionally, we provided information to parents to help ensure the project’s success. In implementing the project, we initially focused on the participants but also worked to integrate these activities into the school’s daily operations. For instance, at the Hungarian school, the faculty decided to lock up students' mobile phones during school hours this academic year—a measure we successfully implemented, though by this time, a government regulation also mandated it.
As educators, we are concerned about the impact of the rise of digitalization on our students. Young people are drawn into the internet at an early age, leading to addiction, isolation, depression, and mental health issues. We see that this often results in a decline in school performance, which increases the risk of dropout. These existing negative trends have motivated us to take action, within the framework of an international collaboration, to slow down, stop, or even reverse this increasingly alarming trend to the best of our abilities. Thus, our project addressed a real problem, based on an actual need. Alongside our investigative and educational efforts, we also offered solutions, both to the participating students and teachers on a smaller scale and, on a broader scale, to the students and teaching communities of our project partners. Through them, we also reached families and local communities. By disseminating our results and outcomes, we aimed to have an international impact.