The Digital Pact of Imola: development and implementation of a community-based public health initiative to promote healthy digital habits in childhood and adolescence

Background Digital media exposure in childhood and adolescence is an increasing public-health concern. Pediatric recommendations emphasize not only the duration of screen exposure, but also content, context, timing, parental co-use, developmental stage, and the activities displaced by screen use. Community-based approaches may help families receive coherent and developmentally appropriate guidance across healthcare, educational, family, and social settings. Methods This manuscript describes the development and implementation of the “Digital Pact of Imola”, a community-based public-health initiative conducted in the Imola area, Italy, between July 2024 and February 2026. The initiative involved healthcare services, schools, parents’ associations, pediatricians, religious institutions, sports organizations, cultural associations, local government representatives, and third-sector organizations. Activities included public educational events, stakeholder meetings, participatory discussions, visual campaigns, educational booklets, and the development of age-specific Digital Pacts for early childhood, primary school, and lower secondary school. This article is a descriptive implementation report and was not designed to evaluate behavioral, clinical, or developmental effectiveness. Results The initiative led to the establishment of a multidisciplinary community network and to the development of three age-specific Digital Pacts. Between July 2024 and the time of reporting, 11 community meetings and 16 public events were conducted. Overall, 119 public and private educational institutions were involved, including nursery schools, preschools, primary schools, and lower secondary schools. At the time of reporting, 298 Digital Pacts had been formally signed. The overall number of families reached by the initiative was substantially higher but could not be reliably quantified, as participation in project activities did not require formal signature of the Pact. Healthcare professionals, educators, community organizations, and local government representatives were involved throughout the Imola district. A total of 145 professionals and stakeholders participated across healthcare, education, public-health, and local government sectors. Dissemination activities included the distribution of 1,800 posters and 7,000 leaflets. The initiative promoted shared messages on delayed smartphone introduction, supervised internet access, parent-child interaction, outdoor play, reading, creative activities, and avoidance of smartphones as behavioral-regulation tools. Conclusions The Digital Pact of Imola demonstrates the feasibility of developing a community-based, multisectoral framework to promote healthy digital habits in childhood and adolescence. The initiative established coordinated educational messages across healthcare, educational, family, and civic settings. However, the present report does not establish behavioral, clinical, or developmental effectiveness. Future prospective mixed-methods studies should evaluate reach, adherence, equity of access, sustainability, changes in digital-media practices, and child and family outcomes.