Arguing the Need for Qualitative Exploration in the Field of Emerging Digital Pathologies

Johnson, Nicola F.

doi:10.21697/sp.2015.14.2.08

Cited by 5 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Although many participants used the term 'addicted', when describing how young people interacted with technology, many appeared to reject the idea that the technology use itself was creating the problems young people were presenting to them with. This is aligned with other qualitative research suggesting psychologists find terms such as "Internet abuse" unhelpful in the case of those experiencing harms from heavy Internet use (Johnson, 2015). Instead, participants appeared to support a compensatory conceptualisation of technology-related problems (Kardefelt-Winther, 2014a).…”

Section: Perceptions Of How Problematic Technology Use Effects Mentalsupporting

confidence: 83%

Perceptions of young adults’ problematic technology use among Australian youth professionals

Keen

Gainsbury

2021

Cyberpsychology

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The effects of excessive and problematic technology use on young people’s mental health has not been explored from the perspective of those who work closely with youth in a professional capacity. This study reports on findings from focus group interviews with 22 professionals in the fields of education, counselling and mental health, community and housing, social work, and drug and alcohol services. Most problems participants observed related to video gaming (predominantly amongst men) and social media use (predominantly amongst women). Participants perceived most harms to be related to social or psychological difficulties such as relationship breakdowns, isolation, low self-confidence, depressive symptoms, and unrealistic expectations of success. More tangible harms relating to homelessness, physical fighting resulting from online exclusion, and sleep disturbances leading to absence from school and work commitments were also reported, albeit less frequently. The relationship between technology use and poor psychosocial outcomes was conceptualised as being complex and often cyclic in nature, whereby disadvantage and family dynamics were often predictive of problems. Most services did not formally screen for technology-related problems, however many were interested in upskilling by way of training, awareness, and implementation of screening measures and formal referral procedures. This research suggests that young people are presenting with technology-related problems but that more needs to be done to provide youth services and organisations with adequate support to identify and assist with these issues.

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Section: Perceptions Of How Problematic Technology Use Effects Mentalsupporting

confidence: 83%

Perceptions of young adults’ problematic technology use among Australian youth professionals

Keen

Gainsbury

2021

Cyberpsychology

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“…Ed-tech research has been criticised for its lack of theory, or for being vague in its use of theory (Bulfin et al, 2013(Bulfin et al, , 2014Costa et al, 2019;Hew et al, 2019;Johnson, 2015;McDougall et al, 2010). Additionally, just what does constitute 'theorising' in social research or in ed-tech research has been widely debated (Costa et al, 2019;Hammond, 2018;Hammond & Alotaibi, 2017;McDougall et al, 2010).…”

Section: Literature Review: Why Temporalities and Digital Technologies Within Schools? The Gap In The Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, just what does constitute 'theorising' in social research or in ed-tech research has been widely debated (Costa et al, 2019;Hammond, 2018;Hammond & Alotaibi, 2017;McDougall et al, 2010). Furthermore, ed-tech research appears to privilege psychology-influenced theories such as cognitive load theory or self-determination theory (Hew et al, 2019;Johnson, 2015). While much of ed-tech research has focused on bringing about effective use of technology within teaching by teachers in order to enhance learning (for example, Saubern et al, 2020), few ed-tech studies have theorised the why of technology utilisation, in preference to focusing more on the how, taking a descriptive, utilitarian approach.…”

Section: Literature Review: Why Temporalities and Digital Technologies Within Schools? The Gap In The Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Digital labour and temporal priorities within a secondary school

Johnson

2021

Technology, Pedagogy and Education

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Digital devices and ubiquitous online access contribute to the nature and amount of digital labour conducted by school staff. Drawing on more than 40 interviews with staff at one Australian secondary school, the general nature of this digital labour is presented, then Clancy's notion of temporal autonomous spaces is introduced and applied to theorise why some teachers used digital technologies constantly in their teaching. The article highlights how some teachers invested their time in learning about and using digital technologies because it enhanced their sense of autonomy and increased their sense of freed time. It theorises how teachers who invest their time into developing their knowledge and effective use of digital technologies in their teaching practice do so because of the perceived benefits that temporal autonomous space brings. Therefore, their practice is sustained as a high temporal priority.

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“…I have previously argued that more qualitative research should be conducted in this area surrounding internet addiction, over-use or problematic use (Johnson, 2015). The constant affirmation and attention users receive can become addictive-like.…”

Section: Summarizing the Argumentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temporal digital control: Theorizing the use of digital technologies to provide a temporal autonomous space

Johnson

2019

Time & Society

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Screen time once referred to television. Nowadays, it includes various screen sizes that are internet-enabled devices, and the pervasive smartphone. Regardless of what kind of screen is used, screen time comprises much of life itself. Being online and offline is now fairly blurred because of the ubiquitousness of technologies, Wi-Fi and screens. This paper puts forth the notion of ‘temporal digital control’ to explain the choice of when and why smartphones and other portable digital devices are used in today’s cultural milieu, and it theorizes the ‘why’ of contemporary smartphone use is so prominent suggesting it enables temporal digital control in an autonomous space. Coupled with the engrossment of such use, the article elaborates how gazing at a digital device comprises a temporal connection, alongside a disconnection from real life, and a possible inauthenticity that could affect well-being. Recently published literature on ‘waiting’ is included to help theorize why actors choose to use digital technologies while waiting. Being preoccupied, or busy, or doing something with one’s smartphone while waiting creates a sense of alleged status, importance or connection in the form of digital temporal control. An array of vignettes is provided to demonstrate agentic disengagement with the present in a preference for moving into a temporal autonomous space of ‘perceived’ digital control. When gazing at and using a digital device, users are arguably disengaging with the temporal present, disconnecting with others who may be beside them, in preference to the creation of temporal (and digital) autonomous spaces. Regardless of what the user is doing on their smartphone or device, the use of technologies can provide a temporal autonomous space of digital control.

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Arguing the Need for Qualitative Exploration in the Field of Emerging Digital Pathologies

Cited by 5 publications

References 33 publications

Perceptions of young adults’ problematic technology use among Australian youth professionals

Perceptions of young adults’ problematic technology use among Australian youth professionals

Digital labour and temporal priorities within a secondary school

Temporal digital control: Theorizing the use of digital technologies to provide a temporal autonomous space

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