Digital disconnection, digital inequality, and subjective well-being a mobile experience sampling study

Drawing on theories of digital media (non-)use and well-being, this study examines how voluntary disconnection relates to subjective well-being and what role digital skills play in this relationship. We rely on mobile experience sampling methods to link nuanced disconnection practices throughout the day (e.g., putting screen devices away and muting notifications) with momentary experiences of well-being. We collected 4,028 responses from 105 mobile media users over the course of one week. Multilevel regression analyses revealed neither significant within-person effects of disconnection on affective well-being, social connectedness, or life satisfaction, nor a significant moderation effect of digital skills. Exploratory analyses, however, show that effects of disconnection on well-being vary greatly across participants, and that effects are dependent on whether one disconnects in the physical copresence of others. Our study offers a refined perspective on the consequences, or lack thereof, of deliberate non-use of technology in the digital age. Lay Summary This study looked at whether taking breaks from digital media throughout the day has an impact on people’s own perceptions of their well-being. Over the course of one week, the researchers asked 105 participants to answer six questionnaires each day through a mobile application, which resulted in 4,028 filled-out questionnaires. The results show that, on average, taking a break from digital media does not affect how people feel (positively or negatively), or how socially connected they feel immediately after their disconnection. It also does not affect how satisfied they are with their life considering the past day. However, upon further analysis, the results show that people’s reactions to breaks from technology vary greatly. Some people experience no or negative effects of disconnection on their well-being, while others experience positive effects. The study also finds that when people take a break from digital media while being with others, this has short-term positive effects on their well-being. With this, the study shows a nuanced picture of the benefits—or lack of these—of what taking breaks from digital media can do for people’s well-being.