The average daily time spent online by adults increased by almost an hour during the spring block in the UK, compared to the previous year, according to communications regulator Ofcom. With several countries again under severe pandemic restrictions, many of us once again wonder whether our strong dependence on technology is affecting our well-being.
It is true that digital devices provided new means of work, education, connection and entertainment during the blockade. But the perceived pressure to be online, the tendency to procrastinate to avoid tasks and the use of digital platforms as a way to escape suffering, all have the potential to transform healthy behaviors into habits. This repetitive use can develop into addictive patterns, which in turn can affect the user’s well-being.
In our recent research, we explored how to empower people to have healthier and more productive relationships with digital technology. Our findings can be applied to those who suffer from digital addiction, as well as those who may feel that their digital diet has increased in a harmful way to health in loneliness and absence of blockade events.
Screen time and addiction
Digital addiction refers to the compulsive and excessive use of digital devices. The design of digital platforms contributes to this addictive use. Notifications, news feeds, likes and comments have contributed to a battle for your attention, which leads users to increase the time they spend looking at the screens.
Screen time is an obvious measure of digital addiction, although researchers have noted that there is no simple way to determine how much screen time someone can experience before it becomes problematic. As such, there is a continuing lack of consensus on how to think and measure digital addiction.
During a global pandemic, when it often appears that there is no alternative to starting Netflix or videoconferencing with friends and family, screen time as an indicator of digital addiction is clearly ineffective. However, research conducted on the intervention and prevention of digital addiction provides insights into how we can all engage with our digital technologies in a healthier way during a blockade.
1. Defining limits
During the course of our research, we found that setting an effective limit can motivate users to better control their digital usage. When setting limits, any goal you decide to work on must be in line with the five “SMART” criteria. This means that the goal must be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and limited in time.
For example, instead of framing your goal as “I’m going to reduce my digital media usage”, framing it as “I won’t spend more than an hour watching Netflix on weekdays” will allow you to plan effectively and evaluate your success in an objective way.
2. Online support groups
It may seem a bit paradoxical, but you can actually use technology to help promote greater control over screen time and overuse of digital. One study found that online support groups – where people can discuss their experiences with the harmful use of technology and share information on how to overcome these problems – can help people adjust their digital diet in favor of their personal well-being. Even an open chat with your friends can help you understand when the use of technology is harmful.
3. Self-reflection
Meanwhile, increasing your sense of self-awareness about addictive usage patterns can also help you manage your digital usage. You can do this by identifying the applications that we use repeatedly and recognizing the triggers that lead to this excessive consumption.
Self-awareness can also be achieved by reflecting on emotional and cognitive processing. This involves recognizing feelings and psychological needs behind the overuse of digital. “If I don’t respond instantly to a group conversation, I will lose my popularity” is a problematic thought that increases screen time. Reflecting on the truth of such thoughts can help free people from addictive patterns of digital use.
4. Know your triggers
Gaining self-awareness about addictive usage patterns can really help us identify unmet needs that trigger the overuse of digital. When we do that, we can pave the way for defining alternative behaviors and interests to meet these needs in different ways.
Mindfulness meditation, for example, can be an alternative way of relieving the stress, fears or anxiety that currently leads users to excessive use of digital. If you think that the excessive use of digital can be simply due to boredom, then physical activity, cooking or adopting hobbies offline can provide alternative forms of entertainment. Again, technology can really help make this possible, for example, by allowing you to create online groups for simultaneous exercise, producing a hybrid solution for harmful digital habits.
5. Prioritize the social
We must also remember that our relationship with digital media reflects our internal impulses. Humans are innately social creatures, and socializing with other people is important for our mental well-being. Social media can increase our opportunities for social contact and support several positive aspects of mental well-being, such as support from colleagues and increased self-esteem. Involvement with the media to intentionally socialize during a blockade can support our mental health, rather than being detrimental to our well-being.
Ultimately, technology companies also have a responsibility to understand and be transparent about how the design of their platforms can cause harm. These companies should empower users with explanations and tools to help them make informed decisions about using digital media.
While we may consider this to be a legitimate user requirement, technology companies appear to be in the early stages of delivery. In the meantime, reflecting on when and why we came back to our screens is a good basis for forming positive digital habits during the new blocks imposed this year.
This article is by John McAlaney, Associate Professor of Psychology, Bournemouth University; Deniz Cemiloglu, Researcher, Bournemouth University, and Raian Ali, Professor, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, was republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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