As digital technologies reshape modern life in Central and Eastern Europe, balancing connectivity and mental well-being has become vital. Laurentiu-Alexandru Suciu, General Administrator at GrECo Romania examines how digital fluency both empowers and challenges us, drawing on personal experience and regional trends.
The Crossroads of Connection and Well-being
In the past decade, Central and Eastern Europe has undergone rapid digital transformation. Access to high-speed internet, smartphones, and online platforms has shifted the way people connect, learn, and work. Yet, alongside these benefits comes a question that feels deeply personal to me: how does digital fluency influence our mental health?
Living in a Digitally Fluent World
Digital fluency is more than just knowing how to use apps or browse the web. It is about the ability to adapt, critically evaluate online content, and use digital tools effectively. In CEE countries, young professionals, students, and entrepreneurs are increasingly required to master these skills to compete in a global market. From my own perspective, I often feel both empowered and overwhelmed. On one hand, digital tools make it easier for me to learn, collaborate, and express myself creatively. On the other, the constant pressure to stay updated, productive, and available online can leave me drained.
The Mental Health Impact
Research across CEE shows that younger generations, though highly digitally fluent, are increasingly vulnerable to anxiety and depression linked to online behaviours.
Finding Balance
For myself, balance comes from setting boundaries: turning off notifications at night, taking breaks from screens, and focusing on face-to-face connections. I also practice information filtering – deciding what is truly important and what can wait until tomorrow. Learning to say ‘no’ to constant digital demands has become just as important as learning to say ‘yes’ to real-life interactions.
Balance also involves small rituals: taking a walk without my phone, using apps that limit screen time, and carving out time for hobbies offline. For example, I started cooking more often after work, it grounds me and reminds me that not everything valuable comes through a screen. On a wider level, schools and employers in CEE are beginning to introduce digital literacy programmes that emphasise not just skills, but also well-being. This is a hopeful sign.
Moving Forward
CEE countries stand at an intersection: digital fluency can either strengthen resilience or deepen mental health struggles. By acknowledging the dual impact, we can create healthier digital environments. For me personally, it’s a daily practice of awareness – recognising when digital tools support me, and when they start to control me.
A Corporate Reality Check
Working in a corporate job, the weight of digital fluency is something I feel daily. My work calendar is packed with back-to-back virtual meetings, messages flood my inbox long after office hours, and my phone vibrates constantly with team chat updates.
The digital fluency that makes me efficient at work also blurs the line between professional and personal life. This tension between productivity and mental well-being is a silent struggle many colleagues of my generation also share.In conclusion, while fear appeal can be effective in cybersecurity communication, it must be used with caution. Overwhelming people with fear can lead to paralysis and inaction – outcomes that are counterproductive to improving cybersafe behaviour in your organisation. However, fear appeal can be useful for raising concern awareness when it matters most, like board meetings. Just ensure that you limit the fear-dose and combine it with actionable steps that your audience can take to mitigate risks.
HORIZON Risk Thought >> Fast Forward
The complexity of today´s risk environment is changing at an accelerating pace, making risk management even more challenging. We have created HORIZON, firstly as a print publication and now as a page for sharing the latest insights about ongoing transformations. Our risk specialists will continue to provide their expertise and knowledge to shine a light on the challenges of the future.
Laurentiu-Alexandru Suciu
General Administration
GrECo Romania
T +40 753 124 344
