Digital Wellbeing: The New Design Approach to Improving Mental Health
Teens have always been drawn to social media, but the platforms these days are more addictive and distracting than ever before. According to a study by the American Psychiatric Association, social media usage is linked to feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Another study published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior shows that technology overuse is related to anxiety, depression and overall psychological distress. It's no wonder that some people refer to social media as "digital heroin"!
But it doesn't have to be all doom and gloom. There are steps you can take to improve your digital wellbeing. For example, you can set limits on your screen time, take regular breaks from your devices, and use online filters to block out distractions. So next time you're feeling tempted to scroll through Instagram for hours on end, remember that there are other things you could be doing with your time – and your life!
Let’s have a deeper look!
Social Media Platforms' actions on Digital Wellbeing
Luckily, some of the biggest tech companies have realised that they need to do more to help users have a healthy relationship with technology. A new design approach has been born, one that aims to improve digital wellbeing by putting users back in control of their technology usage. This is a much-needed development, as it can help to address the growing problem of digital addiction.
The topic of digital wellness has received a lot of attention in recent years, as evidenced by the introduction of ethical design strategies such as the Digital Design Manifesto in 2017. Since then, we've seen Apple and Google integrate digital wellbeing features into their operating systems, including:
Measure and limit screen time
Night shift, snooze notifications
Do not disturb mode
Google also launched a webpage where individuals may take a short questionnaire to assess their relationship with technology. The site then offers advice on how to get your digital well-being back.
“We want to assist people in achieving the proper balance and gaining a sense of digital well-being.” /Sundar Pichai, Google CEO/
Google also made numerous little modifications to its goods to assist people to disconnect from technology. Here are a few examples:
YouTube’s Autoplay control
YouTube’s Scheduled digest feature to bundle notifications
Gmail’s auto-reply feature
Another interesting resource is digitalwellbeing.org, created by research psychologist Paul Marsden. The website contains Paul's essays as well as recent developments and news items in the field.
Tiktok Approach
Recently, Tiktok also focused on the area of digital wellbeing. The explanation from the social media platform's side is like below:
At TikTok, we believe that our digital experiences should bring us joy, entertainment, connection and enrichment. Having a positive relationship with digital devices and apps isn't just about measuring screen time, it's also about feeling in control of how we use technology and ensuring that the time we spend online contributes positively to our sense of well-being. That's why we're taking several steps today to help support our community's digital well-being as they create and discover on TikTok.
We're introducing new features to help people manage their time on TikTok, including an in-app Dashboard that shows how much time you've spent on the app each day. We're also giving you more control over the content you see with new Online Filters that let you adjust what kind of content appears in your feed. And we're making it easier to connect with friends and family with new ways to message and video call right from the app.
Digital wellbeing is important for everyone, and we're committed to helping our community stay healthy and connected. We hope these new features will make TikTok an even more fun and enriching experience for everyone.
It's no secret that families around the world are grappling with the question of screen time. With so many devices and apps at our fingertips, it can be tough to manage screen time in a way that feels healthy for everyone. But a new study from Internet Matters sheds some light on how families are dealing with this issue.
The study found that teens and parents alike want more data about their usage and better tools for managing screen time. They also want more flexible solutions that can be adapted to different circumstances. This is all in the name of digital wellbeing, which is becoming increasingly important as we spend more and more time online.
So what can we do to help our families healthily manage screen time? For starters, we can look into online filters and social media tools that can help us limit our exposure to screens. We can also make sure to have open conversations with our kids about why screen time limits are important, and how they can help us all lead healthier lives.
Digital wellbeing is a new design approach that aims to improve our relationship with technology. By looking into this issue, we can start to make changes in our lives that will help us all feel more connected, balanced, and healthy.
What are your thoughts on digital wellbeing? Have you been making any changes in your life to improve your relationship with technology? Let us know in the comments!
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