Abstract
Mobile media support our autonomy by connecting us to persons, content and services independently of time and place constraints. At the same time, they challenge our autonomy: We face new ...struggles, decisions, and pressure in relation to whether, when and where we connect and disconnect. Digital wellbeing is a new concept that refers to the (lack) of balance that we may experience in relation to mobile connectivity. This article develops a theoretical model of digital wellbeing that accounts for the dynamic and complex nature of our relationship to mobile connectivity, thereby overcoming conceptual and methodological limitations associated with existing approaches. This model considers digital wellbeing an experiential state of optimal balance between connectivity and disconnectivity that is contingent upon a constellation of person-, device- and context-specific factors. I argue that these constellations represent pathways to digital wellbeing that—when repeated—affect wellbeing outcomes, and that the effectiveness of digital wellbeing interventions depends on their disruptive impact on these pathways.
This paper presents two experimental studies investigating the impact of mobile messaging during an offline conversation on relational outcomes. A first study examined the impact on impression ...formation. A 3 × 1 experiment revealed that phone users were perceived as significantly less polite and attentive, and that self-initiated messaging behavior led to more negative impression formation than messaging behavior in response to a notification. A second study examined the impact on perceived conversation quality and social attraction. A 2 × 2 experiment revealed that perceived conversation quality was negatively affected by co-present mobile messaging behavior, while social attraction was not. Whether persons were acquainted or not with the phone user did not moderate this relationship.
•We examined whether co-present texting impacts negatively on relational outcomes.•In experiment 1, co-present texters were perceived as less polite and attentive.•In experiment 2, co-present texting caused perceptions of lower conversation quality.•Experiment 2 found no negative impact on social attraction.•Concerns over the harmful effect of co-present phone use appear warranted.
This study examines the occurrence, frequency and duration of co-present phone use, also known as ‘phubbing’ behavior, during a dyadic conversation and its association with perceived conversation ...intimacy and distraction. Phubbing was measured by covertly observing students having a 10-min dyadic conversation (N = 100 dyads). Afterwards, participants were approached and asked to complete measures of how intimate they perceived the last 10 min of their conversation, and how distracted they perceived themselves and their conversation partners. Results reveal that phubbing occurred in 62 of the 100 observed conversations. In 30% of these 62 conversations, the phone screen was shared. When phone use occurred, the average frequency was 3.16 times per dyad (SD = 2.5), for a median duration of 99 seconds (SD = 225.2). Relatively few participants could correctly recall the occurrence of phone use during the past 10 min of their conversation. Inconsistent findings were found for the association between phubbing behavior and perceived distraction. The partner's phone use (but not one's own phone use), however, was associated with lower conversation intimacy.
•100 student dyads were covertly observed in a student restaurant.•In 62 dyads, at least one person used a phone during the conversation.•In 30% of conversations in which phones were used, screens were shared.•Recall of phone use was poor – both of oneself and of the partner.•If the partner used a phone, persons perceived less intimacy in the conversation.
Drawing from a cross-sectional survey (N = 1000), this study examines (1) the extent to which Belgian adults experience digital well-being (i.e. perceive agency over and functional support from the ...use of digital media), (2) which digital disconnection strategies they use to limit connectivity, (3) how their use of these strategies relates to their digital well-being, and (4) whether different user groups can be identified in terms of digital well-being experiences. We find evidence for ambivalence in the relationship towards digital media. Popular disconnection strategies involve access restrictions. Those reporting less agency generally disconnect more. Lastly, a typology based on respondents’ digital well-being scores reveals four clusters of indifferent, enthusiastic, ambivalent, and sceptical digital media users that differ in demographic, personality and media use/ownership characteristics. Collectively, this study gives insight into how digital well-being and digital disconnection are distributed, lifting the veil over who might be more susceptible to struggling with constant connectivity.
Social media overuse is a central concern in discussions over digital well-being. Digital disconnection is often presented as a solution to this problem, but mixed evidence on its effectiveness ...suggests we lack understanding of why, how and when disconnection works. Drawing from three recurrent social media metaphors - the drug, demon and donut metaphor - this article aims to advance understanding of social media disconnection by developing a classification of disconnective mechanisms in accordance with three conceptual approaches to social media overuse. This classification provides theory-driven support for differing social media disconnection mechanisms. We discuss its implications for practice and future research.
Adolescents’ characteristic understanding and use of mobile phones have led observers to speak of a “mobile youth culture.” This article explores whether we can differentiate lifestyles within mobile ...youth culture. We construct a user typology of Flemish adolescent mobile phone users based on mobile phone gratifications. Eight gratifications were identified. Using these as segmentation variables, a cluster analysis differentiated a devoted (N = 204), dependent (N = 156), pragmatic (N = 143), and disinterested (N = 90) mobile lifestyle. These groups differed significantly in demographics and social–psychological characteristics, indicating that youths domesticate mobile phones in their life in response to the problems and opportunities that cross their particular path toward adulthood.
The authors explore patterns of smartphone use during the first weeks following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in Belgium, focusing on citizens’ use of smartphones to consume ...news and to communicate and interact with others. Unique smartphone tracking data from 2,778 Flemish adults reveal that at the height of the outbreak, people used their smartphone on average 45 minutes (28 percent) more than before the outbreak. The number of smartphone pickups remained fairly stable over this period. This means that on average, users did not turn to their smartphones more frequently but used them longer to access news (54 percent increase), social media apps (72 percent increase), messaging apps (64 percent increase), and the voice call feature (44 percent increase). These smartphone use patterns suggest that smartphones are key instruments that help citizens stay informed, in sync, and in touch with society during times of crisis.
Contemporary children live in datafied societies in which they navigate and use technological innovations that drive on their personal information. Instructing privacy literacy is often presented as ...a key solution to help children manage their personal data responsibly. While there is agreement on the empowering potential of privacy literacy for children, there are also concerns over the burden that this responsibility places on them and their capacity for resilience. Children are key stakeholders in this debate. Nonetheless, we rarely hear their voices on issues related to their online privacy and data responsibilization. The articles included in this thematic issue account for this limitation by amplifying the voices of children, looking into the practices of parents and exploring the role of the tools being used.
Disconnection presents itself as a modern answer to problems of media addiction and overuse. But, is it really novel? Through a thematic analysis of Dutch and American newspaper articles spanning ...several decades, this study examines public news discourses on TV and smartphone addiction and their imagined solutions. The analysis reveals Apparatgeist: While there are parallels stemming from similar affordances, the discourse surrounding each affliction and its treatment is also unique to its time. While TV addiction discourse alludes to the loss of traditional values, smartphone addiction discourse emphasizes self-governance. Disconnection is framed as a solution but is imbued with moral imperatives regarding the necessity of self-discipline and productive time. Overall, smartphone addiction discourse points toward being “present” and “in touch with one’s authentic Self” as states that are morally valuable and time-worthy, but under stress in contemporary society.
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