Over the past few years, the overuse of smartphones, laptops and tablets has become pervasive. They have become an integral part of our lives because they maintain contact with the outside world. became. [1]A dramatic surge in their use has been observed, leading to an unconscious effort to reach out to gadgets, even when it is not mandated. It has been largely overtaken as it has been proven to help enable a lifestyle that is built in, comfortable and easily accessible. [2]
We know that the average person can tap and swipe their phone about 2600 times a day due to its attention-grabbing design. [2] Individuals spend approximately 3 to 5 hours per day [3,4]College students around the world are at risk of addiction due to constant gadget use that causes them to abandon work and engage in unnecessary screen time, studies have shown [5-6]Lack of sleep has been observed to reduce academic performance and energy, further contributing to a stressful lifestyle. [6-8]Research shows that the use of digital technology and its effects on teen well-being are detrimental, but in small percentages. [9-10]Gadgets have given users the leverage and opportunity to harness the power of technology wherever possible, but they have many drawbacks and have always come at a cost. It led to social pressure to do things, safety hazards from overuse, and an overall decline in mood and well-being. [11]As technology negatively impacts the health and well-being of students, there is an urgent need for fresh ideas to address this problem.
Concept of digital wellbeing
Digital wellbeing is an upcoming intervention that can be viewed as using digital technology to ensure one’s mental and physical health in an environment overwritten by digital affluence. Digital wellbeing is primarily focused on adopting and adapting an individual’s technology habits to achieve basic goals. Set reminders to stay focused, minimize distractions, unplug and detox when working or studying, and build social and family relationships for better mental health Promoting is a central but small step you can incorporate into your life. [12]Digital wellness essentially prioritizes a claimable level of self-control over the use of digital devices and focuses on aligning them to achieve long-held goals.Self-control as a focus for achieving digital wellbeing is seen as a means to achieve a more effective, personal and healthy lifestyle. [13].
Individuals have expressed an interest in setting self-limits and limiting their smartphone use, but adhering to them has proven difficult and often cumbersome. Many productivity apps and tools have been developed for Still, little research has been done on aspects that should be considered to ensure its effectiveness and its efficiency. can turn your attention to
Meaning of excessive use of digital technology
Current evidence suggests that typical or balanced use of digital technology does not harm adolescents and students.However, excessive or inappropriate use can lead to adverse effects such as sleep deprivation [5,9]low energy, poor academic performance [5]altered psychological well-being [6]withdrawal, dysfunction, compulsions [7]physiological stress, mind wandering, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder-related behaviors, maladaptive/negative thinking styles, decreased life satisfaction [9]The use of digital technology is more likely to affect short-term positive or negative effects than long-term life satisfaction.
Interventions to achieve digital wellbeing
The European Commission 2020 has released a “European Digital Strategy” that focuses on digital inclusion, bringing technology into education as one of the priorities of schools and universities.Therefore, the use of technological advances is inevitable [14]A survey of medical students conducted in Riyadh showed that 51.6% of students use personal digital aids such as laptops and tablets for studying. They continue to use the same one even though they are aware of its negative health effects. [4].
Using the app
To promote digital wellness, major technology companies such as Apple and Google have taken the initiative to incorporate digital wellbeing tools such as “screen time” and “digital wellbeing” into their operating systems, allowing them to track their daily usage. to monitor and set limits.Reduce distracting apps to ensure focus and efficiency (Fig. 1, 2). Apps such as ‘Forest’, ‘Detox’, ‘OffTime’ and ‘Moment’ act as positive reinforcement, helping individuals focus on goals with visual stimuli and rewards and taking control of lost screen time. take back [15]The main focus of initiatives like this is to use technology for the better and not let it dominate our lives.
A two-week study on the effectiveness of a digital tool using a self-designed app called ‘Mytime’ found that a standalone intervention reduced not using a specific app on a smartphone by 21% and that individuals It has been shown to effectively help you achieve your goals. short term. However, this has been restricted as smartphone use has become a social practice, and warnings are often ignored in social settings.Therefore, interventions must be personalized to the individual in order to be effective [11].
NUGU is a group-based app used to self-regulate and limit smartphone usage.It focuses primarily on group help and social support and serves the purpose of helping and motivating each other. succeeded in [16].
digital detox
Digital detox interventions, in which individuals voluntarily refrain from social media and technology, have been proposed as a solution to reduce the negative impact of smartphone use on outcomes such as well-being and social relationships.These interventions are the solution to minimizing digital addiction [17]The National Day to Unplug on March 4-5 has been around for several years by many organizations, dedicating a day to promoting a 24-hour detox through technology. Digital detox intervention studies have shown significant reductions in stress, improved sleep hygiene, and improved overall mental health. [17,18]On the other hand, a 24-hour study of digital detox in smartphone users measured the impact on three parameters (mood, anxiety and cravings) on four different occasions.The results show that only cravings are affected, suggesting that prolonged smartphone use may not indicate digital addiction. [19]Therefore, there seem to be mixed results indicating the need for an individualized approach.
Tiffany Schrain [20], in her book 24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week, works from technology and smartphones once a day at her convenience to promote balance and recharge herself with social interactions. Talk about needing to take a break. She sets aside her day for her self-reflection and talks about regaining control of her own life. The tips shared in her book are simple yet effective means of promoting digital wellness.
Students’ digital and online activities may include using web and online services for social networking, education, information gathering, and entertainment. Adolescents, teens, and students should analyze their use of various websites, mobile apps, electronic devices, and devices to distinguish between their use of digital technology for learning and other purposes. [12]If a student’s digital indulgence is focused on non-academic activities, it can affect student progress and grades. Second, if the amount of online learning resources is overwhelming in the education sector today, that too can negatively impact digital wellbeing.
Teaching young students how to use digital and online resources effectively is essential to prevent the emergence and effects of digital stress. Measures that may help improve your digital wellbeing include:Student development and handling of hands-on use of digital and online resources [13]emphasizes active learning in the classroom and lab/field, and promotes a healthy digital learning environment to foster digital creation, innovation, networking and collaboration in scholarship and research. [14]use of interventions such as digital detox and apps [15,17].
There is ample data to suggest that using digital interventions promotes and helps individuals achieve overall well-being. There are shortcomings in individual duration and compliance. [19]With the benefits of easy-to-use technology and accessibility, digital wellbeing apps have proven to be the perfect link to reduce technology use.With new strategic app-based interventions, we are seeing better progress and reaching much larger populations. Demonstrated positive association with digital tool use [15].
Adhering to self-defined boundaries has had serious difficulties despite temporary, simple, and integrable solutions that allow you to easily indulge your lifestyle. Changing behavior, even if it is goal-oriented and to maintain well-being, has been difficult. Follow the regimen you want and cause problems.You need constant motivation and reminders to stay focused and adhere to your goals. Due to the existence of various variables, there is no conclusive evidence for the effectiveness of digital wellbeing, so there are prerequisites for personalizing digital wellbeing requirements by customizing the specific needs of individuals. Limitations in using interventions to achieve digital well-being will be viewed as ‘points of advantage’ in future studies to help us better understand this concept.
The importance of digital wellness is to enable users to be productive and engage in activities that use technology to promote their overall growth, leading to a healthy and active lifestyle. Digital wellbeing can greatly advance research with proper data backup. This can be integrated to raise awareness among medical students and teachers to encourage education about the struggles they face with social media connectivity, the risks of stress, and burnout. It helps foster healthy digital habits and promotes the need for better interpersonal relationships with family and colleagues. However, knowledge about it is minimal and its investigation is pending. Limitations set on achieving digital wellbeing can be overcome with more empirical research and customization to meet individual goals and goals.
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