Julius Klingelhöfer
Communication Science, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU)
Digital communication can have a negative impact on mental health under certain circumstances, e.g., in the form of stress due to many notifications. In the world of work in particular, such challenges can arise due to rapidly advancing digitization and new flexible working models. However, a permanent renunciation of digital media is often neither desirable nor feasible, for example because advantages of digitization are lost (e.g., social contact at a distance). For this reason, a number of longitudinal studies are investigating whether certain forms of temporary usage restriction (“digital disconnection”) can improve well-being in everyday life. The aim is to find out when restricting one’s own media use can be beneficial.