scholarly journals A Proto-Theory of Digital Well-Being

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moritz Büchi
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Good Life ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Theory Integration ◽  
Descriptive Validity ◽  
Causal Chains ◽  
Specific Manifestation

How can we live a good life both thanks to and despite the constant use of digital media? The presented proto-theory of digital well-being offers guidance for theory development and theory integration to enable a cumulative science of the impacts of digital media use on well-being. The proto-theory describes the nature of and connections between three relevant phenomena—digital practices, harms/benefits, and well-being—and creates a blueprint for explanatory theories. It focuses on the mechanisms between digital media use and well-being by analyzing the often concomitant harms and benefits arising from individual’s digital practices within structural conditions; these mechanisms are theoretically plausible causal chains that lead from a specific manifestation of digital practice to a relevant individual well-being outcome with some regularity. Future digital well-being studies should prioritize descriptive validity and longitudinal designs.

scholarly journals Digital well-being theory and research

2021 ◽  
pp. 146144482110568
Author(s):  
Moritz Büchi
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
General Framework ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Formal Theory ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Descriptive Validity ◽  
Causal Chains ◽  
Specific Manifestation

Digital well-being concerns individuals’ subjective well-being in a social environment where digital media are omnipresent. A general framework is developed to integrate empirical research toward a cumulative science of the impacts of digital media use on well-being. It describes the nature of and connections between three pivotal constructs: digital practices, harms/benefits, and well-being. Individual’s digital practices arise within and shape socio-technical structural conditions, and lead to often concomitant harms and benefits. These pathways are theoretically plausible causal chains that lead from a specific manifestation of digital practice to an individual well-being-related outcome with some regularity. Future digital well-being studies should prioritize descriptive validity and formal theory development.

scholarly journals Measurement Discrepancies Between Logged and Self-Reported Digital Media Use: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas Parry ◽  
Brittany I Davidson ◽  
Craig Sewall ◽  
Jacob T. Fisher ◽  
Hannah Mieczkowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Objective Measures ◽  
Valid Index ◽  
Accurate Reflection

The influence of digital media on personal and social well-being is a question of immense public and academic interest. Scholars in this domain often use retrospective self-report measures of the quantity or duration of media use as a proxy for more objective measures, but the validity of these self-report measures remains unclear. Recent advancements in log-based data collection techniques have produced a growing collection of studies indexing both self-reported media use and device-logged measurements. Herein, we report a meta-analysis of this body of research. Based on 104 effect sizes, we found that self-reported media use was only moderately correlated with device-logged measurements, and that these self-report measures were rarely an accurate reflection of logged media use. These results demonstrate that self-reported measures of the quantity or duration of media use are not a valid index of the amount of time people actually spend using media. These findings have serious implications for the study of media use and well- being, suggesting that cautiousness is warranted in drawing conclusions regarding media effects from studies relying solely on self-reported measures of media use.

The Digital Development of LGBTQ Youth

2017 ◽  
pp. 61-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyler J. Hatchel ◽  
Kaveri Subrahmanyam ◽  
Michelle Birkett
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sexuality Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Developmental Tasks ◽  
Lgbtq Youth ◽  
Healthy Development ◽  
Digital Development

We use a developmental tasks framework to guide the exploration of digital media and the development of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. Since digital contexts are ubiquitous, it is clear that youth use them in the service of developmental tasks such as formation of identity, pursuit of intimacy, and development of sexuality. Research suggests that LGBTQ youth use digital media more often than their peers, likely due to the challenges they face. At the same time, electronic peer-victimization and sexual health are concerns since LGBTQ youth are more likely to be at risk. Drawing on extant research we will show that digital media use is associated with stigma-related stressors and risks while concurrently offering opportunities for healthy development. The chapter concludes with recommendations for future research that should help bolster our understanding of how digital contexts may predict the development and well-being of LGBTQ youth.

More Time on Technology, Less Happiness? Associations Between Digital-Media Use and Psychological Well-Being

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 372-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean M. Twenge
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Frequent Users ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Upward Social Comparison ◽  
Variance Explained

Studies using large samples consistently find that more frequent users of digital media are lower in psychological well-being than less frequent users; even data sets used as evidence for weak effects show that twice as many heavy users (vs. light users) are low in well-being. Differences in perspective may stem from the statistics used; I argue that comparing well-being across levels of digital-media use is more useful than the percentage of variance explained, as most studies on digital-media use do not measure other influences on well-being (e.g., genetics, trauma), and these other influences, unlike frequency of digital-media use, are rarely controllable. Nonusers are generally lower in well-being than light users of digital media, however, suggesting that limited use may be beneficial. Longitudinal and experimental studies suggest that at least some of the causation moves from digital-media use to lower well-being. Mechanisms may include the displacement of activities more beneficial to well-being (sleep, face-to-face social interaction), upward social comparison, and cyberbullying.

scholarly journals Risks and Opportunities for Youth in the Digital Era

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasileios Stavropoulos ◽  
Frosso Motti-Stefanidi ◽  
Mark D. Griffiths
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Developmental Trajectories ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Heated Debate ◽  
Use Of The Internet ◽  
The Individual

Abstract. Due to continued groundbreaking digital advancements, Internet use has increased significantly. This has led to a heated debate in relation to weighing the many advantages of the technology against its potentially deleterious effects. To address such questions, experts converge on the need for greater knowledge around the way individual differences, partly shaped by an individual’s unique experiences of engaging with the medium, and partly by other real-life experiences, lead to different developmental trajectories. Consequently, the goals of the present review are to (i) broadly describe differences in digital media applications, users, and usage; (ii) introduce the Cyber-Developmental Framework (CDF), as an overarching framework for understanding individual differences in adaptive and maladaptive digital media use among youth; (iii) delineate the cyber-component of this framework in relation to users’ experience of the digital context, their activity within it, as well as their digital self-presence, which may have an impact on their digital media use; and (iv) summarize priorities and future directions through the lens of this CDF. Within this context, this review particularly emphasizes the effect of digital media use on youth’s psychological well-being. It is argued that the trajectory youth will follow in their use of the Internet is a function of the interplay between their characteristics, their proximate and distal contexts, and the particular features of the digital application(s) that the individual is engaged in. The review points to the need to conduct research focusing on better understanding the developmental and digital-context-related influences on youth’s trajectories of Internet use.

scholarly journals Psychosocial Outcomes and Digital Media Use in Transgender Youth: A Cross-sectional Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany Joyce Allen ◽  
Zoe Ellen Stratman ◽  
Bradley R. Kerr ◽  
Qianqian Zhao ◽  
Megan A. Moreno
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Parental Support ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Parent Support ◽  
Gender Groups

BACKGROUND Transgender, nonbinary, and gender diverse (TNG) youth encounter barriers to psychosocial wellness and also describe exploring identities and communities online. Studies of cisgender youth connect increased digital technology use with loneliness and decreased body image. However, little is known about psychosocial factors associated with digital technology use among TNG compared to cisgender youth. OBJECTIVE Our goal in this study was to examine associations between psychosocial measures and digital technology use for cisgender and TNG youth. METHODS We surveyed a nationally representative sample of adolescents (ages 13-18) about psychosocial wellness and digital technology use. Psychosocial measures included assessment of body image, parental support, loneliness, well-being, and fear of missing out (FOMO). Digital media use assessments included the short Problematic and Risky Internet Use Screening Scale (PRIUSS-3) and the Adolescent Digital Technology Interactions and Importance (ADTI) scale and subscales. The psychosocial outcomes were compared between gender groups while adjusting for age and parent social media use using PROC GLM. Stratified correlations were compared between gender identity groups for parent support, body image, loneliness, well-being, and FOMO compared with ADTI and PRIUSS-3 scores using PROC NLMIXED to compare the regression coefficients of standardized values between gender groups. All comparisons were adjusted for age and parent social media use. RESULTS Among 4575 adolescents, 53 (1.16%) self-identified as TNG youth. TNG youth had lower well-being (23.52 versus 26.78, P<.001), lower parent support (19.57 versus 23.44, P<.001), lower body image (13.72 versus 17.09, P<.001), and higher loneliness scores (9.01 versus 6.59, P<.001) compared to cisgender peers. In a pattern different from cisgender peers, problematic internet use scores for TNG youth correlated positively with body image (0.26 vs. -0.17, P=.003) and well-being (0.33 vs. -0.08, P=.002). Parental support also correlated positively with ADTI 2 scores for TNG youth (0.05), though correlated negatively with ADTI 2 scores for cisgender youth (-0.22, P=.04). CONCLUSIONS Overall, this study supports previous findings that show that TNG youth experience barriers to psychosocial wellness, and adds that this includes loneliness. This study also suggests that the correlation of PIU with both well-being and improved body image shows that PIU may not be unilaterally problematic amongst TNG youth, which may be because of specific digital media affordances that TNG youth engage. Whether this more complicated picture of PIU applies to other minority populations besides TNG youth will be an important area for future research.

scholarly journals Does Putting Away Your Smartphone Make You Happier? The Effects of Restricting Digital Media and Social Media on Well-Being

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa C. Walsh ◽  
Annie Regan ◽  
Karynna Okabe-Miyamoto ◽  
Sonja Lyubomirsky
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Correlational Research ◽  
Dating Apps ◽  
Direction Of Effects

Both scientists and laypeople have become increasingly concerned about smartphones, especially their associated digital media (e.g., email, news, gaming, and dating apps) and social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat). Recent correlational research links substantial declines in Gen Z well-being to digital and social media use, yet other work suggests the effects are small and unnoteworthy. To further disentangle correlation from causation and better elucidate the strength and direction of effects, we conducted a pre-registered 8-day experimental deprivation study with Gen Z individuals (N = 338). Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: (1) restrict digital media use, (2) restrict social media use, (3) restrict water use (active control), or (4) restrict nothing (measurement-only control). Relative to controls, participants restricting digital media reported a variety of benefits, including higher life satisfaction, mindfulness, autonomy, competence, and self-esteem, and reduced loneliness and stress. In contrast, those assigned to restrict social media reported relatively few benefits (increased mindfulness) and even some costs (more negative emotion).

scholarly journals Digital Pathways to Wellness Among Youth in Residential Treatment: An Exploratory Qualitative Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 074355842110148
Author(s):  
Bethany D. Good
Keyword(s):  
Identity Development ◽  
Residential Treatment ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Individual Growth ◽  
Community Recovery ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Interview Method ◽  
Depth Interviews

Digital media use is central for youth as a means to facilitate identity development, social connection, and vocational competence. Emerging literature suggests that the influence of digital media use is more nuanced than the contemporary risk/benefit discourse, particularly for youth who experience social and emotional vulnerability. This youth-centered, developmentally informed study attends to the gap in literature addressing the digital media use experiences among youth in residential treatment (RT). McCracken’s Long Interview Method was utilized to conduct and analyze in-depth interviews with youth ( n = 15) aged 13 to 18 in RT. The analysis involved movement from particular to general coding, applying categorical observations, and thematic comparison of transcripts. Consistent with existing literature on other youth populations, participants reported that digital media use had both beneficial and problematic implications for their well-being. Internet access decreased experiences of isolation and stigma and increased capacity to contend with marginalized identities (e.g., disability, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Queer, Two Spirited Plus [LGBTQ2S+], child welfare guardianship). They reported that following an initial digital disconnect and stabilization, digital media use facilitated pathways toward agency, leadership, and community engagement (e.g., LGBTQ2S+ community, recovery blogs, animal advocacy). The findings suggest that supporting youth in RT to identify their online opportunities and needs can encourage individual growth, wellness, and participation in social change.

scholarly journals Role of Online Media: A Study of Happiness Index in Students’ Online Screen Use in West Bengal

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Trinanjana Das
Keyword(s):  
Physical Health ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Online Media ◽  
Present Generation ◽  
Screen Use

Objective: The research aims to study the correlation of happiness and online media use of the students of West Bengal and predict the level of influence that digital media can have on students’ happiness. Introduction: Digital technology has transformed the way the present generation navigates through life and form connections with each other. The years after 2010 in particular have shown a massive decline in terms of happiness which failed to rebound to the 1990s level. In fact, both adults and teens reported that they felt far less happy and satisfied, which was prevalent even till 2000 also. Incidences of low psychological well-being were prominent, besides deterioration of physical health.

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