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What is Digital Wellbeing? A List of Definitions

What exactly is “digital wellbeing?”

Ask 34 experts and you get 34 different answers – and here they are.

If you summarise these 34 answers and you get something like “digital wellbeing is a state of personal wellbeing experienced through the healthy use of digital technology

(Of course, digital wellbeing is also a Google program, an Android app, a TikTok feature, a BBC initiative, and the name of this site!)

But here’s digital wellbeing, defined in experts own words (ping me any others you find!)

Digital wellbeing is…

  1. “The enhancement and improvement of human well-being, in the intermediate and long term, through the use of digital media” (UNESCO)
  2. A state of satisfaction that people achieve when digital technology supports their intentions” (Google)
  3. A state where subjective well-being is maintained in an environment characterized by digital communication overabundance. Within a condition of digital well-being, individuals are able to channel digital media usage towards a sense of comfort, safety, satisfaction and fulfilment (Gui, Fasoli and Carridore)
  4. Digital wellbeing is a subjective individual experience of optimal balance between the benefits and drawbacks obtained from mobile connectivity. This experiential state is comprised of affective and cognitive appraisals of the integration of digital connectivity into ordinary life. People achieve digital wellbeing when experiencing maximal controlled pleasure and functional support, together with minimal loss of control and functional impairment (Mariek Vanden Abeele)
  5. the impact of digital technologies on what it means to live a life that is good for a human being” (Christopher Burr)
  6. the impact that digital technologies, such as social media, smartphones, and AI, have had on our well-being and our self-understanding of what it means to live a life that is good for us in an increasingly digital society” (Christopher Burr and Luciano Floridi)
  7. The conscious use of technology which enables individuals and communities to realise their potential” (Georgie Powell).
  8. “Digital wellbeing considers the impact of technologies and digital services on people’s mental, physical and emotional health” (JISC)
  9. “Digital Wellbeing is about crafting and maintaining a healthy relationship with technology. It’s about how technology serves us and moves us towards our goals, rather than distracting us, interrupting us or getting in the way. Being in control of technology enables us to use its full potential and gain all the benefits of it”. (Google)
  10. “The capacity to look after personal health, safety, relationships and work-life balance in digital settings“;
    • “to use digital tools in pursuit of personal goals (e.g. health and fitness) and to participate in social and community activities; to act safely and responsibly in digital environments; to negotiate and resolve conflict; to manage digital workload, overload and distraction; to act with concern for the human and natural environment when using digital tools. An understanding of the benefits and risks of digital participation in relation to health and wellbeing outcomes” (JISC previous definition – one of six digital capabilities and definition used in the FutureLearn digital wellbeing course from the University of York – JISC = Joint Information Systems Committee, the UK not-for-profit EdTech organisation)
  11. “An umbrella term for a state of individual wellbeing that is supported by digital technologies” (Sarah Aragon Bartsch)
  12. The extent to which the user feels their digital device use is well-aligned with their personal, valued, long-term goals” (Ulrik Lyngs)
  13. “The impact of digital technologies on what it means to live a life that is good for a human being in an information society” (Christopher Burr, Mariarosaria Taddeo & Luciano Floridi)
  14. “Using technology in a positive way that supports physical and mental health” (Qustodio)
  15. Find[ing] a balance with technology, that feels right for you
    • “As technology becomes more and more integral to everything we do, it can sometimes distract us from the things that matter most to us. We believe technology should improve life, not distract from it. We’re committed to giving everyone the tools they need to develop their own sense of digital wellbeing. So that life, not the technology in it, stays front and center” (Google)
  16. The term ‘digital well-being industry’ is used to refer to the growing, commercial availability of software (e.g. mobile apps), hardware (e.g. smartwatches), and services (e.g. online chatbots) that seek to promote the self-governance of mental health and well-being (Christopher Burr, Jessica Morley, Mariarosaria Taddeo and Luciano Floridi)
  17. “The ability to live holistically healthy lives considering all activities that involve the use of digital technologies; for example, the healthy use of social media, preventing cyberbullying and other abusive behaviour”. (HundrED)
  18. “A subjective individual experience of optimal balance between the benefits and drawbacks obtained from mobile connectivity. This experiential state is comprised of affective and cognitive appraisals of the integration of digital connectivity into ordinary life. People achieve digital wellbeing when experiencing maximal controlled pleasure and functional support, together with minimal loss of control and functional impairment” (Mariek M. P. Vanden Abeele)
  19. “A term used by health professionals, researchers and device manufacturers to describe the concept that when humans interact with technology, the experience should support mental and/or physical health in a measurable way. The goal of improving digital wellbeing is to design technology in such a way that it promotes healthy use and proactively assists the user to maintain a healthy lifestyle” (whatis.com).
  20. “Digital wellbeing spans the ways information technology – including communications and sensors – can help people live long and healthy lives” (University of Portsmouth)
  21. “Concerned with the impact of technology on the extent to which we do and can lives that are good for us” (Michael Klenk)
  22. Looking after personal health, safety, relationships and work-life balance in digital settings” (Fiona Chambers et al in Design Thinking for Digital Well-being)
  23. “The use of social technologies in a manner that contributes positively to overall mental and physical health, and self-perceived sense of wellbeing” (Jeremy Birnholtz et al)
  24. An awareness of how being online can make us feel and looking after ourselves and others when online. This can include recognising the impact being online can have on our emotions, mental wellbeing and even on our physical health and knowing what to do if something goes wrong” (Childnet and UK Safer Internet Centre).
  25. The conceptualization, design, and development of digital experiences with the main focus of fostering wellbeing. That is, technologies that aim to reduce their negative impact and design them to make humans thrive through a positive digital experience” (Claudia Daudén Roquet and Corina Sas).
  26. “Means that individuals, families, and organizations are capable of using digital technologies to help them to work productively, facilitate social relationship, and sustain healthy lives in a balanced way without experiencing negative side effects of digital technologies such as distraction, dependence, and health/safety/privacy threats” (Uichin Lee and Jaejeung Kim)
  27. A subset of wellbeing insofar as it is influenced by digital technologies and human-computer interaction” (Katja Rogers)
  28. “The mindful balance between digital connectivity and digital unplugging” (Corina Sas)
  29. Feeling comfortable when using specific technology” (Matthias Schmidmaier)
  30. “The state of being content and comfortable with the role that technology occupies in an individual’s life” (Ashley Marie Walker and Michael A. DeVito)
  31. “A positive feeling associated with the use of technology, striven by maintaining a balance between our ‘real’ and ‘online’ lives” (Kelly Widdicks, Oliver Bates, Mike Hazas and Adrian Friday)
  32. “Digital wellbeing is a movement concerned with controlling the amount of time we spend in front of mobile devices, the web, and technology in general” (Android Authority)
  33. “Digital wellbeing is an attempt [by Google] to help people get a better relationship with the technology in their lives by focusing on four areas: Understanding habits, focus on what matters, help switching off, and help families find the right balance with technology (Daniel Svensson).
  34. Ensuring that digital technologies do not impact negatively on safety, relationships or mental and physical health (OpenLearn)

Written by
Dr Paul Marsden
Join the discussion

58 comments
  • Over time, the diversity of cultures and practices of international projects increases, while the need for cross-cultural management as a tool for making effective decisions in the context of cultural and linguistic differences and peculiarities increases. The influence of cross-cultural management on the use of human resources became more active at the end of the XX century due to the acceleration of business globalization processes.

  • “Lean manufacturing”, as well as saving time and space. That is, automation of document flow makes it possible to get rid of, for example, endless, and most importantly – unnecessary printouts, which is nothing more than a loss of resources. Documents and files can be safely deleted after the expiration of their storage period, depending on the status and relevance of the information. Automation of document flow at the corporate culture level undoubtedly meets the most effective and globally accepted models of strategic management – such changes in the company will have a positive impact on the attitude of employees to the status of the company, will be able to evaluate the HR brand of the organization higher, and therefore work with greater efficiency.

  • Great article, thank you for sharing! But still it depends on the user himself – if he wants to stick to it, it won’t be difficult to turn off the timer. But if a person needs to rest and he is exhausted, you can turn off the device and then really no one and nothing will get through, get through and finish. This is a very labor-intensive job. I understand it. Automation, development of all processes – but it’s worth it. DevOps specialists support the product lifecycle from start to finish, help to bring all processes together and describe them, reduce development time, increase its efficiency and security.

  • The truth is that with digital technology, any workflow becomes more successful. And for the construction industry, this is also a huge time savings. Project management is a topic that always interests all builders. If you do not use mobile construction software, despite the rapid development of the construction industry, the level of automation of construction companies will still remain very low.

  • Over time, the diversity of cultures and practices of international projects increases, while the need for cross-cultural management as a tool for making effective decisions in the context of cultural and linguistic differences and peculiarities increases.

  • Digital wellbeing is an attempt [by Google] to help people get a better relationship with the technology in their lives by focusing on four areas: Understanding habits, focus on what matters, help switching off, and help families find the right balance with technology.

  • I’m so happy to be a part of this event. Learned a lot from the most influential people and brightest minds within the community as well as countless opportunities for networking, code sprints, and informal conversations.

  • Thank you for sharing this. Actually a very interesting topic for a lot of discussions. As a modern person, I am very glad that I was born at such a time and can enjoy all the digital benefits. But on the other hand, this means that my boss, for example, can calmly write on work issues in the evenings or even on weekends. Therefore, I am glad that now more and more people have begun to think through and implement some of the limitations of digital technologies, at least during non-working hours. I think this is the right approach.

  • Who can I contact to provide me with a quality service? I will be grateful! In any case, the technology industry is developing in the same way as the companies that are associated with it, and this is good!

  • It was a very good post indeed. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it in my lunch time. Will surely come and visit this blog more often. Thanks for sharing.

  • “Over time, the diversity of cultures and practices of international projects increases, while the need for cross-cultural management as a tool for making effective decisions in the context of cultural and linguistic differences and peculiarities increases.” – Genius!

  • So good! I’m thrilled to be a part of this occasion. I learned a lot from the community’s most prominent people and sharpest brains, as well as through innumerable networking opportunities, coding sprints, and casual talks.

  • I really appreciate this wonderful post that you have provided for us. I feel strongly that love and read more on this topic. I have spent a lot of my spare time reading your content. Thank you a lot.

  • Thank you for letting me know. In fact, if you think about it, technology has become a very important part of our lives and, first of all, it makes our life easier. I am glad that our life is becoming much easier thanks to a huge amount of technology and we can do some things that we could not before. But we should also not forget that it can be harmful if we do not control the amount of time spent on the Internet. Also, do not forget about digital hygiene.

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    I have factory reset my phone because some tech support berson at tmobile lied that I could stop forced software updates if i did. no dice. I am unable to find anthing online in the way of potential remediation of this travesty, can anyone suggest any way to actually remove this monster (not silence or hide it, remove it) I know this is not the forum, but I’m circling the drain and clutching at straws.

  • Thanks for giving me this information. What you’ve written on your blog is great. You wrote a very helpful and fun blog post that you let people read.

  • These definitions highlight the various aspects and perspectives of digital wellbeing, emphasizing its importance in maintaining a healthy and balanced relationship with technology.

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digitalwellbeing.org

digitalwellbeing.org

Digital wellbeing covers the latest scientific research on the impact of digital technology on human wellbeing. Curated by psychologist Dr. Paul Marsden (@marsattacks). Sponsored by WPP agency SYZYGY.