Digital Storytelling and Social-Emotional Learning in Adolescents: A Systematic Review Across CASEL Domains

Adolescence is a formative period for identity development, emotional regulation, and relationship skills. For that reason, social-emotional learning (SEL) is often considered an essential part of both education and development for adolescents. One potentially effective pedagogical method to support SEL is Digital storytelling (DST), the practice of creating or viewing digital narratives, because it combines reflection with digital media practices already familiar to young people. This review examined 20 empirical studies to explore how DST may support adolescents’ SEL across the five CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) domains. The results suggest that DST is most often associated with improvements in self-awareness and social awareness. Evidence for relationship skills is present though less frequently, and very few studies showed strong links to self-management or responsible decision-making. Most DST interventions are creation-focused and seemed to produce broader SEL outcomes, while viewing-focused DST was connected with specific benefits such as health self-management and ethical reasoning supporting decision-making. Assessments relied heavily on qualitative reflections, with very few studies using validated quantitative tools. The success of DST interventions also depended on contextual factors such as facilitation quality, equity of access, and safeguarding practices. Overall, DST shows promise as a pedagogical and developmental tool for developing adolescent SEL, yet gaps in methodology and uneven research designs indicate the need for more rigorous and diverse studies before stronger conclusions can be drawn.