With the availability of affordable smartphones and unprecedented access to information, digital technology is having a major impact on our collective and individual well-being. These technologies are developing at breakneck speeds, leaving regulatory bodies, education systems and family units trailing behind in addressing their potential harms, especially on the next generation. As today’s youth is exposed to such technology at an increasingly young age exacerbating issues such as addiction, cyberbullying, privacy, and misinformation, it is high time we take an active role in addressing this.
The Digital Wellbeing Initiative (established in June 2021) is an organization that works collaboratively with youth, technology professionals, artists and policymakers to equip the next generation with the right tools to navigate the digital landscape with skill and intellect. We believe that technology ideally should improve our quality of life and therefore hope to help today’s youth find a balance between the promise of technology and their personal wellbeing.
Meet the Team!
Maleen Jayasuriya
Maleen Jayasuriya holds a PhD in Robotics from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) with a research focus on robot perception, localisation and AI. He is currently an academic at Curtin University Colombo Campus and the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. He is passionate about teaching, science communication and advocating for information literacy and digital wellbeing. Maleen is also known to dabble in theatre, filmmaking, VFX, music and game design in his free time.
Nishan Casseem
Nishan Casseem is a Communications Manager and Digital Content Marketer by profession and a UI/Graphics Designer by passion who currently works with The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. Nishan has worked with local and international creative and marketing agencies during the past 10 years as well as journalism, including working with Roar Media as their Chief Content Officer till 2018.
Piumi Wijesundara
Piumi is a theatre director, actor, cartoonist and writer. She obtained her Masters’ in Theatre Directing at the University of Essex, UK. Piumi works with youth and has directed award-winning children’s plays in Sri Lanka (TTYL, Train to Chaos, and Ovaryacting!). She is an artist at Stages Theatre Group and has acted in and produced theatre productions at International Theatre Festivals in the UK and Rwanda.
Chrisjit Xavier
Chrisjit Xavier holds an MD (Hons) from Vitebsk State Medical University, Belarus and is at the beginning of his career as a medical practitioner in Sri Lanka. His prior experience includes working as Programme Coordinator at Sri Lanka Unites, involved in projects promoting reconciliation, improving youth employability and combatting public harassment of women in Sri Lanka. In his free time, he also dabbles in creative writing – short stories and poetry.
Sanjit Dias
Sanjit Dias is an Attorney-at-Law practising in Sri Lanka. He holds an LL.B from the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo. He has worked with school and university students in English debating for over a decade, as a debater, coach and administrator. He is interested in working towards a world in which adults and young people are less attached to their devices and more attached to each other.