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Unravelling complexities in digital wellbeing research

Lookup NU author(s): Aku Kamwanja, Professor Savvas PapagiannidisORCiD, Professor Eleftherios AlamanosORCiD

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).


Abstract

© 2025 Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: The objective of the paper was to consider how digital wellbeing can best be studied from a user-centredness perspective, offering a contemporary perspective in this ever-evolving area. Design/methodology/approach: The paper undertakes a critical analysis and synthesis of the literature, aiming to put relevant work into perspective. Findings: Digital wellbeing is (i) based on various user circumstances, (ii) dependent on users’ experience of time and (iii) embedded in events that are occurring. The variations in users’ digital wellbeing provide support for the need for user-centredness in studying digital wellbeing and emphasise the importance of user perceptions of their own experiences. Practical implications: An understanding of individuals’ short-term digital wellbeing can provide a reference point for exploring medium- and long-term as well as past and future digital wellbeing occurrences. Such an understanding can help underpin design and development that is conducive to promoting digital wellbeing. Originality/value: The review has identified knowledge gaps, suggesting various possibilities for user-centred research in this field of study. The potential research areas relate to pressing issues that need to be addressed to understand the phenomenon itself, as well as methodological issues for consideration when conducting research on digital wellbeing.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Kamwanja A, Papagiannidis S, Alamanos E

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society

Year: 2025

Pages: Epub ahead of print

Online publication date: 05/09/2025

Acceptance date: 29/07/2025

Date deposited: 31/07/2025

ISSN (print): 1477-996X

ISSN (electronic): 1758-8871

Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited

URL: https://doi.org/10.1108/JICES-01-2025-0019

DOI: 10.1108/JICES-01-2025-0019


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