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Digital wellbeing as a dynamic construct

(2021) COMMUNICATION THEORY. 31(4). p.932-955
Author
Organization
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.
Keywords
Linguistics and Language, Communication, Language and Linguistics, Digital Wellbeing, Mobile Connectivity, Mobile Media, Wellbeing, Addiction, Problematic Phone Use, Addictive Design, Digital Wellbeing Interventions, Digital Detox, Screen Time, OVERPATHOLOGIZING EVERYDAY LIFE, MOBILE-PHONE USE, SMARTPHONE USE, SOCIAL MEDIA, INTERNET ADDICTION, TENABLE BLUEPRINT, PROBLEMATIC USE, TECHNOLOGY USE, ONLINE, NOTIFICATIONS

Citation

Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:

MLA
Vanden Abeele, Mariek. “Digital Wellbeing as a Dynamic Construct.” COMMUNICATION THEORY, vol. 31, no. 4, 2021, pp. 932–55, doi:10.1093/ct/qtaa024.
APA
Vanden Abeele, M. (2021). Digital wellbeing as a dynamic construct. COMMUNICATION THEORY, 31(4), 932–955. https://doi.org/10.1093/ct/qtaa024
Chicago author-date
Vanden Abeele, Mariek. 2021. “Digital Wellbeing as a Dynamic Construct.” COMMUNICATION THEORY 31 (4): 932–55. https://doi.org/10.1093/ct/qtaa024.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Vanden Abeele, Mariek. 2021. “Digital Wellbeing as a Dynamic Construct.” COMMUNICATION THEORY 31 (4): 932–955. doi:10.1093/ct/qtaa024.
Vancouver
1.
Vanden Abeele M. Digital wellbeing as a dynamic construct. COMMUNICATION THEORY. 2021;31(4):932–55.
IEEE
[1]
M. Vanden Abeele, “Digital wellbeing as a dynamic construct,” COMMUNICATION THEORY, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 932–955, 2021.
@article{8697725,
  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.}},
  author       = {{Vanden Abeele, Mariek}},
  issn         = {{1050-3293}},
  journal      = {{COMMUNICATION THEORY}},
  keywords     = {{Linguistics and Language,Communication,Language and Linguistics,Digital Wellbeing,Mobile Connectivity,Mobile Media,Wellbeing,Addiction,Problematic Phone Use,Addictive Design,Digital Wellbeing Interventions,Digital Detox,Screen Time,OVERPATHOLOGIZING EVERYDAY LIFE,MOBILE-PHONE USE,SMARTPHONE USE,SOCIAL MEDIA,INTERNET ADDICTION,TENABLE BLUEPRINT,PROBLEMATIC USE,TECHNOLOGY USE,ONLINE,NOTIFICATIONS}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{932--955}},
  title        = {{Digital wellbeing as a dynamic construct}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1093/ct/qtaa024}},
  volume       = {{31}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}

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