Digital well-being refers to the overall well-being of individuals in our increasingly digitally intermediated society.
The notion of digital well-being encompasses our physical, mental, and emotional well-being as it relates to the use of digital technology.
With the constant integration of technology in our daily lives, it’s important to understand the potential positive and negative impacts of digital technology on our physical and mental health.
On one hand, digital technology offers many opportunities for individuals to improve their well-being. Digital tools can provide access to information and resources that can help people manage their mental and physical health, connect with others, and pursue their goals and interests.
Additionally, digital technologies can make life more convenient, efficient, and productive.
For example, online therapy, telemedicine, and other digital health tools can provide convenient and accessible resources to manage healthcare.
However, on the other hand, excessive use of technology can lead to various challenges such as sleep disturbance, social isolation, and negative impact on mental health.
The multiple distractions and the constant access to information can lead to less focus and productivity, and the constant exposure to social media and the internet can lead to feelings of depression and anxiety.
Moreover, the widespread of misinformation and fake news on the internet can lead to a lack of trust and healthy skepticism.
It’s important to find a balance between utilizing technology for its benefits and being aware of its potential negative impacts on our well-being and taking steps to mitigate them.
Enjoy reading!
Article 1:
The impact of digital technology at work
For a quarter of a century, the use of digital tools in the world of work has continued to grow and evolve across all sectors. The development of digital tools allows an employee to work from home, away from the company premises.
In this study, Santiago Melián González takes stock of this new way of working and this new form of labor market (microwork) that is disrupting the traditional labor market.
But the author goes further, showing us the impact of these new technologies on the well-being of these 4.0 workers, these new workers at the age of automation and artificial intelligence.
With the proliferation of social networks, S. Melián-González highlights the e-reputation of these micro-work platforms, such as “appjober” or “taskrabbit,” by these digital workers, forcing these companies to be more transparent towards their employees.
Source:
Social Science Research Network (SSRN)
Article 2:
Digital Well-being’:
The Need of the hour in today’s digitalized and technology-driven world!
This recently published review article in Cureus. aims to approach the effectiveness of digital well-being and its applications in combating stress and increasing work performance and preventing digital addiction.
Nisha M. Thomas and her authors highlight the negative impact that excessive use of technology can have on our mental and physical health, as well as our relationships and social interactions.
The article also suggests that digital well-being can be improved by setting boundaries and limits on technology use, and by engaging in activities that promote balance and mindfulness.
Source:
National Library of Medicine (NLM) / PubMed Central (PMC)
Article 3:
Digital well-being as a dynamic construct
This article by Mariek Vanden Abeele develops a theoretical model of digital well-being accounting for the dynamic and complex nature of our relationship to mobile connectivity.
The authors define digital well-being as a complex, multidimensional construct that is constantly changing as technology and our relationship to it evolves.
He argues that digital well-being cannot be understood as a static state, but rather as a dynamic process that is shaped by a range of individual, social, and technological factors.
He notes that digital well-being is influenced by different aspects of people’s lives, such as their physical and mental health, their social and professional relationships, and their personal values and goals.
In summary, the contribution suggests that digital well-being should be viewed as an ongoing process of negotiation and adaptation, rather than a fixed state to be achieved.
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Article 4:
Digital well-being is about more than just screen time
This Google financed research on digital well-being reveals how people perceive their relationship with technology and provide a first draft of recommendations that go beyond restricting screen time.
The article argues that while screen time is an important aspect of digital well-being, it is not the only one that should be considered.
It highlights that there are other factors that can contribute to people’s well-being, such as the content they consume, the way they interact with techno-logy, and their overall relationship with it.
The authors emphasize that in order to improve digital well-being, it is important to not just focus on reducing screen time, but to also consider the broader context of technology usage and the impact it has on people’s lives.
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Article 5:
Digital well-being in an age of mobile connectivity
This Special Issue brings together five academic articles that push the boundaries of digital well-being research by shedding light on the opportunities and challenges that people experience in relation to mobile connectivity, exploring the role of digital disconnection for digital well-being, and theorizing the conceptual underpinnings of digital well-being.
The editorial suggests that mobile connectivity has led to changes in social interactions and has had an impact on people’s ability to focus and pay attention.
The editors propose that in order to improve digital well-being, it is important for individuals to be aware of their mobile device usage and the impact it has on their lives, and to take steps to set boundaries and limits on their usage.
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Article 6:
Digital well-being applications:
Adoption, use and perceived effects
Douglas A.Parry and his co-authors, in this article of Computers in Human Behavior, relate a mixed-method study involving the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data from a student sample conducted with the aim of investigating.
Firstly, the adoption of applications and features designed to support digital well-being.
Secondly, the factors that influence the continued use of such applications.
Thirdly, the effect users perceive these applications to have on their digital well-being.
The article highlights the perceived effects of these applications on their users, such as the improvements in their overall well-being, and identifies the challenges of these apps where improvements are needed.
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Article 7:
Framing ‘digital well-being’ as a social good
In this study, co-authored by A. Beattie and M. S. Daubs, the authors explore the notion of digital well-being, for example, through the implementation of screen time management applications by Big Tech companies such as Apple, Google or Meta (ex-Facebook).
The same companies that use algorithms to make users addicted to their applications are also able to influence these users for the better.
In their study, the authors first explained the concept of “digital well-being” in relation to the concept of “digital health.”
They then demonstrated that digital well-being is a social good. It should be remembered that a social good is the ability to exert a constraint on an individual or a group of individuals.
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Article 8:
Designing for social interaction in the age of excessive smartphone use
In this detailed study (graphs and tables), authors Aykut Coşkun and Hüseyin Uğur Genç analyze the psychological and sociological effects of smartphone use during everyday social events.
The study was conducted in 3 steps. The first step was observation in cafes and the second step was conducting 6 focus group sessions with 46 participants.
The last step was to set up a working group on reconciling smartphone use in public places.
This working group identified four approaches to the implementation: Enlighteners, Preservers, Supporters and Compliers.
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Article 9:
Social media use and children’s well-being
Based on previous research showing that childhood events and behaviors have consequences for adult life (e.g., Heckman (2008), Almond and Currie (2011)).
Based on this premise, researchers E. McDool J. Roberts, Ph. Powell and K. Taylor investigated the impact of childhood events and behaviors on adult life. Taylor, who examined the psychosocial impact of social networks on children’s development.
The study conducted by the researchers involved a sample of children between the ages of 10 and 15, between 2010 and 2014. What was analyzed was the effect of time spent chatting on social networks.
The results reflect how these children feel about different aspects of their lives, in particular: school work, appearance, family, friends, school attended and life as a whole.
It was found that after long periods of using social networks, children experienced a decline in satisfaction with aspects of life (school work, appearance, family, friends, school) other than friendships.
The study also shows a difference between girls and boys.
Source:
Social Science Research Network (SSRN)
Article 10:
How digital technology affects working conditions in globally fragmented production chains:
Evidence from Europe
As of February 20, 2023,
this is a preprint that has not yet
undergone peer review
This is a comparative study by Aleksandra Parteka, Joanna Wolszczak-Derlacz and Dagmara Nikulin.
The comparative study focuses on the impact of digital technologies in working conditions.
The researchers used a sample of more than 9.5 million workers from 22 European Union countries.
In this comparative study, the researchers compare the social impact of three digital innovations: software, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI).
In the first part, the research focuses on assessing working conditions with a holistic and sociological approach and by adding other factors of job quality. These new parameters are the physical and social work environment, work intensity, quality of working time, skills and discretion, and prospects.
Based on the literature, the second part of the paper focuses on the impact of AI technological innovations compared to older automation innovations on the self-employed.
Finally, the researchers propose a multi-country analysis of the relationship between modern technologies and the well-being of workers in Europe.
The information provided by the researchers includes socio-demographic characteristics, wage levels and aspects of working conditions that are not related to income, as well as information on remuneration.
Source:
Social Science Research Network (SSRN)