Abstract
Amidst the unprecedented pace of digital technology development, lower secondary school students (aged 11–15) are accessing the Internet and digital devices earlier than ever before, bringing both developmental opportunities and new risks to their character formation and mental health. This article presents a literature review analyzing and interpreting the importance of life skills education for lower secondary students in the context of digital transformation. Based on a selective synthesis of domestic and international research published primarily between 1997 and 2025, the article clarifies four key aspects: (i) the nature of life skills education in the digital transformation era; (ii) the specific psychophysiological characteristics that make lower secondary students a group in particular need of life skills; (iii) the new risks posed by the digital environment to this age group; and (iv) the role of life skills education for individual students, schools, families, and the sustainable development of society. The synthesis reveals a significant gap between the rapid evolution of digital technology and the pace at which school-based life skills education adapts, particularly in Vietnam. The article concludes that life skills education is no longer merely a supplementary activity but has become an essential, urgent requirement that must be systematically integrated into the general education curriculum to enable lower secondary students to adapt safely and effectively to the digital environment.