Temporal digital control: Theorizing the use of digital technologies to provide a temporal autonomous space

Screen time once referred to television. Nowadays, it includes various screen sizes that are internet-enabled devices, and the pervasive smartphone. Regardless of what kind of screen is used, screen time comprises much of life itself. Being online and offline is now fairly blurred because of the ubiquitousness of technologies, Wi-Fi and screens. This paper puts forth the notion of ‘temporal digital control’ to explain the choice of when and why smartphones and other portable digital devices are used in today’s cultural milieu, and it theorizes the ‘why’ of contemporary smartphone use is so prominent suggesting it enables temporal digital control in an autonomous space. Coupled with the engrossment of such use, the article elaborates how gazing at a digital device comprises a temporal connection, alongside a disconnection from real life, and a possible inauthenticity that could affect well-being. Recently published literature on ‘waiting’ is included to help theorize why actors choose to use digital technologies while waiting. Being preoccupied, or busy, or doing something with one’s smartphone while waiting creates a sense of alleged status, importance or connection in the form of digital temporal control. An array of vignettes is provided to demonstrate agentic disengagement with the present in a preference for moving into a temporal autonomous space of ‘perceived’ digital control. When gazing at and using a digital device, users are arguably disengaging with the temporal present, disconnecting with others who may be beside them, in preference to the creation of temporal (and digital) autonomous spaces. Regardless of what the user is doing on their smartphone or device, the use of technologies can provide a temporal autonomous space of digital control.

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Examining the accuracy of estimated smartphone use: How well-being and usage level predict discrepancies between estimated and actual use

10.31234/osf.io/3sju4 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Craig Sewall ◽

Daniel Rosen ◽

Todd M. Bear

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Social Media ◽

Life Satisfaction ◽

Mobile Device ◽

Screen Time ◽

Well Being ◽

Actual Use ◽

Smartphone Use ◽

Usage Level

The increasing ubiquity of mobile device and social media (SM) use has generated a substantial amount of research examining how these phenomena may impact public health. Prior studies have found that mobile device and SM use are associated with various aspects of well-being. However, a large portion of these studies relied upon self-reported estimates to measure amount of use, which can be inaccurate. Utilizing Apple’s “Screen Time” application to obtain actual iPhone and SM use data, the current study examined the accuracy of self-reported estimates, how inaccuracies bias relationships between use and well-being (depression, loneliness, and life satisfaction), and the degree to which inaccuracies were predicted by levels of well-being. Among a sample of 393 iPhone users, we found that: a.) participants misestimated their weekly overall iPhone and SM use by 22.1 and 16.6 hours, respectively; b.) the correlations between estimated use and well-being variables were consistently stronger than the correlations between actual use and well-being variables; and c.) the amount of inaccuracy in estimated use is associated with levels of participant well-being as well as amount of use. These findings suggest that estimates of device/SM use may be biased by factors that are fundamental to the relationships being investigated. **This manuscript is currently under review**

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Stress, Mood, and Smartphone Use in University Students: A 12-week Longitudinal Study

10.31219/osf.io/frvpb ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Abigail Bradley ◽

Andrea Howard

Keyword(s):

Longitudinal Study ◽

University Students ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Screen Time ◽

Multilevel Models ◽

Well Being ◽

Mood States ◽

Stress Levels ◽

Smartphone Use ◽

Screen Use

The current study used device-logged screen time records to measure week-to-week within-person associations between stress and smartphone use in undergraduate students (N = 187, Mage = 20.1) during Fall 2020, focusing on differences across types of app used and whether accumulated screen use each week predicted end-of-week mood states. Participants uploaded weekly screenshots from their “Screen Time” settings display and completed surveys measuring stress, mood, and COVID-19 experiences. Results of multilevel models showed no week-to-week change in smartphone hours of use or device pickups. Higher stress levels were not concurrently associated with heavier smartphone use, either overall or by type of app. Heavier smartphone use in a given week did not predict end-of-week mood states, but students who tended to spend more time on their phones in general reported slightly worse moods—a between-person effect potentially reflecting deficits in well-being that are present in students’ offline lives as well. Our findings contribute to a growing scholarly consensus that time spent on smartphones tells us little about young people’s well-being.

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Factors of the Readiness for Information Exchange in Pre-School Education Establishments

Education Sciences ◽

10.3390/educsci9030166 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 166

Author(s):

Valentina Dolgova ◽

Yulia Batenova ◽

Irina Emelyanova ◽

Irina Ivanova ◽

Lyudmila Pikuleva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Information Exchange ◽

Digital Technologies ◽

Educational Process ◽

Information Resources ◽

Further Training ◽

School Teachers ◽

Digital Device ◽

Self Reflection ◽

Digital Devices ◽

Interactive Environment

The development of an interactive environment that allows for a significant enhancement in interaction opportunities with information resources for a child is one of the primary tasks of the pre-school educational process organisation today. This study involved 50 establishments for children in Chelyabinsk (N = 1280: 230 children, 350 teachers, 700 parents). We used two techniques to collect data: a questionnaire for teachers on the use of Information Exchange in the educational process, their attitude towards ICTs, and the available resources (resources included technological aspects, such as infrastructure, equipment, and software, as well as educational aspects, such as further training and the availability of a qualified methodologist); and a conversation with children on their experience in using and operating digital devices for various tasks. The questions were divided into four groups that provided us with data on the following topics: the degree of inclusion of parents in the interaction (a triad of a child, a digital device, and a parent), the awareness of the child of the capacity and resources of ICTs, motivation and interests that can be realized through digital technologies, and self-reflection as the capacity of the child to predict and analyse their activities. The Hypothesis that the level of readiness for information exchange in subjects of the educational process can be increased through further training of pre-school teachers and the establishment of a single information space in a kindergarten group has been proven right. The findings the study proved such an influence and proposed directions for further studying.

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A ten-step behavioural intervention to reduce screen time and problematic smartphone use

10.31234/osf.io/tjynk ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jay A. Olson ◽

Dasha Sandra ◽

Denis Chmoulevitch ◽

Amir Raz ◽

Samuel P. L. Veissière

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Technology Use ◽

Screen Time ◽

Intervention Study ◽

Well Being ◽

Control Group ◽

Behavioural Intervention ◽

Problematic Smartphone Use ◽

The World ◽

Smartphone Use

Problematic smartphone use is rising across the world and has been associated with reductions in concentration and well-being. Few interventions aiming to reduce smartphone use take a multi-faceted approach that balances feasibility and effectiveness. We developed such an intervention with ten simple guidelines that nudge users to reduce their screen time (e.g., disabling non-essential notifications). Two pre-registered studies tested the intervention. Study 1 (N = 51) found reductions in screen time, problematic smartphone use, and depressive symptoms after two weeks. Study 2 (N = 70) found that the intervention caused larger changes in screen time, problematic smartphone use, and sleep quality than a control group of screen time monitoring alone. Our brief intervention reduced screen time by one hour per day and returned problematic smartphone use scores to normal levels for at least six weeks. This intervention provides simple, scalable, and feasible behavioural guidelines to promote healthy technology use.

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A Large-Scale Test of the Goldilocks Hypothesis

Psychological Science ◽

10.1177/0956797616678438 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 204-215 ◽

Cited By ~ 150

Author(s):

Andrew K. Przybylski ◽

Netta Weinstein

Keyword(s):

Digital Technology ◽

Technology Use ◽

Screen Time ◽

Large Scale ◽

Digital Technologies ◽

Well Being ◽

Quadratic Functions ◽

Scale Test ◽

The Impact ◽

Mental Well Being

Although the time adolescents spend with digital technologies has sparked widespread concerns that their use might be negatively associated with mental well-being, these potential deleterious influences have not been rigorously studied. Using a preregistered plan for analyzing data collected from a representative sample of English adolescents ( n = 120,115), we obtained evidence that the links between digital-screen time and mental well-being are described by quadratic functions. Further, our results showed that these links vary as a function of when digital technologies are used (i.e., weekday vs. weekend), suggesting that a full understanding of the impact of these recreational activities will require examining their functionality among other daily pursuits. Overall, the evidence indicated that moderate use of digital technology is not intrinsically harmful and may be advantageous in a connected world. The findings inform recommendations for limiting adolescents’ technology use and provide a template for conducting rigorous investigations into the relations between digital technology and children’s and adolescents’ health.

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The Association Between Well-Being and Objectively Measured Versus Self-Reported Smartphone Time

10.31234/osf.io/zcwmv ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lisa C. Walsh ◽

Karynna Okabe-Miyamoto ◽

Annie Regan ◽

Jean Twenge ◽

Sonja Lyubomirsky

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Screen Time ◽

Media Use ◽

Well Being ◽

Time Function ◽

Self Report ◽

Correlational Research ◽

Self Reports ◽

Smartphone Use ◽

Objectively Measured

Recent correlational research links smartphone and social media use to lower well-being among Gen Z youth, yet other work suggests that the effects are small and unnoteworthy. However, these findings rely heavily on self-report. How accurate is self-reported smartphone time and are objectively measured screen activities associated with lower well-being than nonscreen activities? Finally, are some smartphone uses “better” for well-being than others? We addressed these questions by examining correlations among psychosocial well-being and smartphone time in 414 Gen Z participants. Although objective smartphone use (i.e., assessed via Apple’s Screen Time function) and self-reports were correlated at r=.55, most participants were unable to accurately estimate their smartphone time. Furthermore, the more they used their smartphones—whether assessed objectively or via self-report—the less happy they were (rs=–.14 to .17). However, some apps were associated with more well-being (e.g., Camera, News, Snapchat) and others with less (e.g., Facebook, Reddit, Tinder, Twitter).

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Chatbot for Career Counselling

International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology ◽

10.22214/ijraset.2021.36718 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (VII) ◽

pp. 2543-2554

Author(s):

Mandeep Katre

Keyword(s):

Machine Learning ◽

Communication Channel ◽

Real Life ◽

Machine Learning Algorithms ◽

Computer Application ◽

Career Counselling ◽

Digital Device ◽

Web Based ◽

Digital Devices ◽

Educational Guidance

A chatbot is a computer application that is developed to prevaricate and process conversation between humans and digital devices offering the users an experience as if they are communicating with a person in real life instead of a digital device. With today’s customers expecting immediacy and actualization in their interactions with devices, the addition of chatbots as a communication channel has become critical to growing demand. This paper presents the design of an expert system for educational guidance for students available after SSC & HSC. This project is aimed to implement a web-based chatbot using Rasa NLU and machine learning algorithms that analyze user’s queries and understand the user's messages. The bot is designed to address the queries of the user related to the courses they should opt for and colleges that offer the course. The user just has to query through the bot and based on the inputs taken from the user the chatbot will accordingly predict a suitable course for the user. The system responds by showcasing the predicted course for the user. The user can access the bot without any pre-registration.

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Determinants of Screen Time Among Children Under Five Years: A Cross Sectional Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.23506 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Diana Raj ◽

Norliza Ahmad ◽

Nor Afiah Mohd. Zulkefli ◽

Zalilah Mohd Shariff

Keyword(s):

Screen Time ◽

Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Children Under Five ◽

Under Five ◽

Health Clinics ◽

Age Appropriate ◽

Cross Sectional Design ◽

Time Future

BACKGROUND Excessive screen time is detrimental to the child’s health. However, screen time situation among Malaysian children is poorly understood. OBJECTIVE This study aims to identify the prevalence and determinants of screen time among children under five years old using the latest WHO guidelines. METHODS A cross sectional design was used to randomly select 489 children from nine government health clinics. Total screen time and factors were assessed using validated self-administered questionnaires and analyzed using multiple logistic regression. RESULTS Results show an overall prevalence of 91.4% with a median of 3.00 hours (IQR: 1.36-5.04). Majority of children watched television (66%), followed by mobile phones (30%) and computers (4%). The determinants of screen time were Malay ethnicity, (AOR 3.56, 95% CI: 1.65-7.68), parental age of 30 years or more (AOR 3.12, 95% CI: 1.58-6.16), parental screen time exceeding 2 hours a day (AOR 2.42, 95% CI: 1.24-4.73), parent’s moderate self-efficacy to influence child’s physical activity (AOR 2.29, 95% CI: 1.01-5.20) and parent’s positive perception on influence of screen time on child’s cognitive well-being (AOR 1.15, 95% CI:1.01-1.32). CONCLUSIONS Parents played an important role in determining their child’s screen time. Future interventions that focus on the parents may ensure age appropriate screen time for their children.

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Digital detox: An effective solution in the smartphone era? A systematic literature review

Mobile Media & Communication ◽

10.1177/20501579211028647 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 205015792110286

Author(s):

Theda Radtke ◽

Theresa Apel ◽

Konstantin Schenkel ◽

Jan Keller ◽

Eike von Lindern

Keyword(s):

Social Network ◽

Literature Review ◽

Social Relationships ◽

Instant Messaging ◽

Social Network Sites ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Control ◽

Smartphone Use ◽

Health And Well Being ◽

Digital Detox

Smartphone use, e.g., on social network sites or instant messaging, can impair well-being and is related to clinical phenomena, like depression. Digital detox interventions have been suggested as a solution to reduce negative impacts from smartphone use on outcomes like well-being or social relationships. Digital detox is defined as timeouts from using electronic devices (e.g., smartphones), either completely or for specific subsets of smartphone use. However, until now, it has been unclear whether digital detox interventions are effective at promoting a healthy way of life in the digital era. This systematic literature review aimed to answer the question of whether digital detox interventions are effective at improving outcomes like health and well-being, social relationships, self-control or performance. Systematic searches of seven databases were carried out according to PRISMA guidelines, and intervention studies were extracted that examined timeouts from smartphone use and/or smartphone-related use of social network sites and instant messaging. The review yielded k = 21 extracted studies (total N = 3,625 participants). The studies included interventions in the field, from which 12 were identified as randomized controlled trials. The results showed that the effects from digital detox interventions varied across studies on health and well-being, social relationships, self-control, or performance. For example, some studies found positive intervention effects, whereas others found no effect or even negative consequences for well-being. Reasons for these mixed findings are discussed. Research is needed to examine mechanisms of change to derive implications for the development of successful digital detox interventions.

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Physical Activity, Screen Time, and Sleep Duration of Children Aged 6–9 Years in 25 Countries: An Analysis within the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) 2015–2017

Obesity Facts ◽

10.1159/000511263 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Stephen Whiting ◽

Marta Buoncristiano ◽

Peter Gelius ◽

Karim Abu-Omar ◽

Mary Pattison ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Childhood Obesity ◽

Sleep Duration ◽

Screen Time ◽

School Administrators ◽

Well Being ◽

Pooled Analysis ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Short Sleep Duration ◽

Nationally Representative

Background: Children are becoming less physically active as opportunities for safe active play, recreational activities, and active transport decrease. At the same time, sedentary screen-based activities both during school and leisure time are increasing. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate physical activity (PA), screen time, and sleep duration of girls and boys aged 6–9 years in Europe using data from the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI). Method: The fourth COSI data collection round was conducted in 2015–2017, using a standardized protocol that included a family form completed by parents with specific questions about their children’s PA, screen time, and sleep duration. Results: Nationally representative data from 25 countries was included and information on the PA behaviour, screen time, and sleep duration of 150,651 children was analysed. Pooled analysis showed that: 79.4% were actively playing for >1 h each day, 53.9% were not members of a sport or dancing club, 50.0% walked or cycled to school each day, 60.2% engaged in screen time for <2 h/day, and 84.9% slept for 9–11 h/night. Country-specific analyses of these behaviours showed pronounced differences, with national prevalences in the range of 61.7–98.3% actively playing for >1 h/day, 8.2–85.6% were not members of a sport or dancing club, 17.7–94.0% walked or cycled to school each day, 32.3–80.0% engaged in screen time for <2 h/day, and 50.0–95.8% slept for 9–11 h/night. Conclusions: The prevalence of engagement in PA and the achievement of healthy screen time and sleep duration are heterogenous across the region. Policymakers and other stakeholders, including school administrators and parents, should increase opportunities for young people to participate in daily PA as well as explore solutions to address excessive screen time and short sleep duration to improve the overall physical and mental health and well-being of children.

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