Digitisation is leading to fundamental changes in our society and individual lives. This brings with it opportunities and risks for our health. In some cases, our use of digital technologies and media leads to negative stress (distress), burnout, depression and other health impairments. On the other hand, stress can also have a positive, stimulating effect (eustress), which should be encouraged. Technology design is well advanced, so that digital technologies and media can preserve and promote the health of their human users thanks to increasing artificial intelligence, adaptivity and interactivity.

The aim of the ForDigitHealth research network is to scientifically investigate the health effects of the increasing presence and intensified use of digital technologies and media - especially with regard to the development of digital distress and eustress and their consequences - in all their diversity and to develop and evaluate prevention and intervention options. In this way, the research network aims to contribute to an appropriate, conscious and health-promoting individual and collective use of digital technologies and media.

To this end, the network is conducting research in eleven subprojects from the fields of medicine and the social and technical sciences at the following five Bavarian universities: University of Augsburg, Otto-Friedrichs-University Bamberg, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich and Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg.