technology

Is using technology enhancing or detrimental to our wellbeing?

anxiety technology wellbeing May 03, 2021

There’s no doubt that technology is a major part of our life in modern society. But does it actually enhance our wellbeing or have detrimental effects?  New research from Google on digital wellbeing reveals how people use technology most and how their relationship with their technology is influencing their wellbeing. Google recently surveyed over 9,000 people across six countries asking them to report ion their most frequent activities using technology and their perceptions of how these tasks impact their wellbeing.

In this study the most common tasks participants reported doing weekly using technology were:

  1. Checking phone for notifications (95% of participants)
  2. Passively scrolling through social media (77%)
  3. Looking at content before sleep (76%)
  4. Using search engines (70%)
  5. Messaging others (68%)

 

The top 3 tasks participants reported doing that was associated with significantly higher wellbeing scores included:

  1. Reading books (75% associated this with positive wellbeing)
  2. Using, health, fitness or wellbeing tools (75% associated this with positive wellbeing)
  3. Learning on educational apps or wellbeing tools (74% associated this with positive wellbeing effects)

 

The top 3 tasks that were associated with lower positive wellbeing perception scores included:

  1. Looking at content before sleep (only 32% considered this positive on wellbeing)
  2. Passively scrolling through social media (only 34% considered this positive on wellbeing)
  3. Checking phone for notifications (only 33% considered this positive on wellbeing)

 

Our take at StriveStonger:

Since the first iPhone was released in 2008, smartphone technology has become increasingly prevalent and capable. Reports suggest owners have on average over 40 apps installed on their mobile devices, spend 88% of their mobile time on apps. What is fascinating about this research from Google is not so much what people are using their phones for, this we can all probably guess, but that the activities participants perceive as less positive for their wellbeing are the same ones performed most frequent. This is something we see at StriveStonger regularly in relation to health and wellbeing behaviours and what behaviour scientists term a knowledge-practice gap. This relationship between knowing and doing something is complex as knowledge does not always lead to its intended action (i.e. behaviour). Knowledge plays a significant role to get people started on their behaviour change, but it is far from all that it takes. Personal attitudes and beliefs towards a behaviour, emotional influences (e.g., perceived control or anxiety) combined with perceived “societal” norms are prime influencers for the intention to perform a specific behaviour. However, what is encouraging is that in the Google study, 1 in 4 had changed their behaviour to gain a better sense of wellbeing and when they did, 80% of them reported a positive impact on their wellbeing. 

Consistent with the findings from this study, we at StriveStronger encourage people who perceive that technology is having a negative impact to adopt the following:

1) Keep the apps that add to your productivity, but remove unessential apps from your phone that are draining your time, distracting or negatively impacting your wellbeing.

2) Turn off device notifications to reduce distractions and unwanted notifications and

3) Reduce time on digital devices, especially when you perceive they are impacting your wellbeing.

Remember, when you perceive something is negatively affecting your wellbeing that it most likely is.

 

Read the full study summary from Google here: https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/feature/digital-wellbeing-statistics/

 

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