TY - ABST

T1 - Simply Solitary Students Shortly Shunning Social Media?

AU - Bagger, Christoffer

PY - 2023/8/13

Y1 - 2023/8/13

N2 - This paper offers a review of the current state of empirical studies on digital disconnection, drawing on the techniques of both scoping and problematizing review methods (Alvesson & Sandberg, 2020; Arksey & O'Malley, 2005). Given that digital disconnection research is still considered an "emerging field" (Lomborg & Ytre-Arne, 2021) with ongoing debates about its limits as a research topic and everyday practice (Treré, Natale, Keightley & Punathambekar, 2020; Enli & Syvertsen, 2021), this paper presents a feasible and timely contribution.In the broadest possible sense, digital disconnection is here defined as a "meaningful [and/or] necessary" retreat or restriction of digital media usage (Bucher, 2020). Through a manual search, I have located 346 empirical studies on digital disconnection across several disciplines, including media studies, psychology, tourism studies, and computer science. The typical focus of these studies has been on relatively young and individualized individuals located primarily in the Global North, who disconnect from a narrow range of social media. Additionally, this disconnection is often temporary (e.g. for a limited period of time or at specific intervals) or partial (e.g. limiting specific functions of these media).The conclusion and discussion section raises important questions about the potential for reproducing individualized agency in the research design and approach of digital disconnection research. I call for further consideration of the social, organizational, and political factors that impact the feasibility and desirability of digital disconnection.Alvesson, M., & Sandberg, J. (2020). The Problematizing Review: A Counterpoint to Elsbach and Van Knippenberg’s Argument for Integrative Reviews. Journal of Management Studies, 57(6), 1290–1304. doi: 10.1111/joms.12582Arksey, H., & O’Malley, L. (2005). Scoping studies: Towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(1), 19–32. doi: 10.1080/1364557032000119616Bucher, T. (2020). Nothing to disconnect from? Being singular plural in an age of machine learning. Media, Culture & Society, 42(4), 610–617. doi: 10.1177/0163443720914028Enli, G., & Syvertsen, T. (2021). Disconnect to Reconnect! Self-help to Regain an Authentic Sense of Space Through Digital Detoxing. In A. Jansson & P. C. Adams (Eds.), Disentangling: The Geographies of Digital Disconnection (pp. 227–252). Oxford University Press.Lomborg, S., & Ytre-Arne, B. (2021). Advancing digital disconnection research: Introduction to the special issue. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 27(6), 1529–1535. doi: 10.1177/13548565211057518Treré, E., Natale, S., Keightley, E., & Punathambekar, A. (2020). The limits and boundaries of digital disconnection. Media, Culture & Society, 42(4), 605–609.

AB - This paper offers a review of the current state of empirical studies on digital disconnection, drawing on the techniques of both scoping and problematizing review methods (Alvesson & Sandberg, 2020; Arksey & O'Malley, 2005). Given that digital disconnection research is still considered an "emerging field" (Lomborg & Ytre-Arne, 2021) with ongoing debates about its limits as a research topic and everyday practice (Treré, Natale, Keightley & Punathambekar, 2020; Enli & Syvertsen, 2021), this paper presents a feasible and timely contribution.In the broadest possible sense, digital disconnection is here defined as a "meaningful [and/or] necessary" retreat or restriction of digital media usage (Bucher, 2020). Through a manual search, I have located 346 empirical studies on digital disconnection across several disciplines, including media studies, psychology, tourism studies, and computer science. The typical focus of these studies has been on relatively young and individualized individuals located primarily in the Global North, who disconnect from a narrow range of social media. Additionally, this disconnection is often temporary (e.g. for a limited period of time or at specific intervals) or partial (e.g. limiting specific functions of these media).The conclusion and discussion section raises important questions about the potential for reproducing individualized agency in the research design and approach of digital disconnection research. I call for further consideration of the social, organizational, and political factors that impact the feasibility and desirability of digital disconnection.Alvesson, M., & Sandberg, J. (2020). The Problematizing Review: A Counterpoint to Elsbach and Van Knippenberg’s Argument for Integrative Reviews. Journal of Management Studies, 57(6), 1290–1304. doi: 10.1111/joms.12582Arksey, H., & O’Malley, L. (2005). Scoping studies: Towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(1), 19–32. doi: 10.1080/1364557032000119616Bucher, T. (2020). Nothing to disconnect from? Being singular plural in an age of machine learning. Media, Culture & Society, 42(4), 610–617. doi: 10.1177/0163443720914028Enli, G., & Syvertsen, T. (2021). Disconnect to Reconnect! Self-help to Regain an Authentic Sense of Space Through Digital Detoxing. In A. Jansson & P. C. Adams (Eds.), Disentangling: The Geographies of Digital Disconnection (pp. 227–252). Oxford University Press.Lomborg, S., & Ytre-Arne, B. (2021). Advancing digital disconnection research: Introduction to the special issue. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 27(6), 1529–1535. doi: 10.1177/13548565211057518Treré, E., Natale, S., Keightley, E., & Punathambekar, A. (2020). The limits and boundaries of digital disconnection. Media, Culture & Society, 42(4), 605–609.

M3 - Conference abstract for conference

Y2 - 16 August 2023 through 18 August 2023

ER -