A Systematic Review of Design and Wellbeing

An increasing number of researches has been focusing on how design can contribute to happiness by trying to increase wellbeing. The focus is providing solutions through design to improve people's lives, thus increasing the appreciation of their lives.  The Ebscohost database was systematically searched for relevant publications about design and wellbeing until 2019. A total of 17 journal articles, published between 2010 and 2018, were included in the research. Data was extracted on macro-theme and category of research, by application area, design, methods, instruments, and focus. Studies on design and wellbeing were explored in the last decade mostly by European researchers. Physical environment, product design, sustainability, and technology are the most common application areas, and most of them have references related to the psychological literature. The main method adopted is experimental and qualitative in nature. The association between design and wellbeing is one that most often targets variables and projects to increase wellbeing instead of discussing how the results will improve positive affect and decrease negative affect to improve people’s lives. The area of research has been growing at a slow steady pace since 2010

The 17th International research symposium on service excellence in management (QUIS17)

More than 30 years have passed since the first edition of QUIS symposium was held in Sweden in 1988. QUIS takes place every second year and attracts around 200-250 leading researchers and executives from all over the world. The QUIS symposium brings together the best interdisciplinary academic research and management practices in a forum to advance the study of service management, service dominant logic, service leadership, customer experience, technology and innovations in service. The pursuit of service excellence is a never-ending quest by organizations seeking to achieve outstanding performance in their field. Benchmarking one¿s own approaches against other organizations best practices and gaining insights from their experiences are powerful means for enhancing resultsPeiró Signes, Á. (2022). The 17th International research symposium on service excellence in management (QUIS17). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/QUIS17.2022.1516

HYPERCONNECTED SCHOOL LEADERSHIP: SHARED EXPERIENCES

Leaders remain perpetually connected to their work because of the rapid advancement of information technology. This research, using a qualitative approach, explored how increased connective technology is affecting school leaders with the central question: How is hyperconnectivity experienced by school leaders? Using personal interviews, the lived experiences of fifteen international middle and high school principals with one-to-one student-to-device programs were collected. Raw transcriptions of their experiences were analyzed using the descriptive phenomenological approach as outlined by Giorgi (2009). This approach allowed for the data to be reduced into a single narrative description shared by all participants indicating the essences of their lived experience as hyperconnected school leaders. This shared narrative highlighted complex and paradoxical experiences associated with how these school leaders interact with technology. Their experiences indicated that work-life balance for hyperconnected leaders required strong personal boundaries and skillful use of connective technologies. Examples of effective leader development of self and community highlighted, paradoxically, the need to unplug to effectively deploy connected technology within their leadership practice. Conversely, this study also showed how leaders can be controlled by connectivity. They associated their roles as responsible school leaders with perpetual connectivity; in consequence, they fused their work and home lives, experienced increased stress, and struggled with work overload. These results imply that international school principals are impacted by increased connectivity in different ways. Findings from this study indicate those leading hyperconnected schools must pay attention to how connectivity is affecting themselves and members of their school communities. Principals must protect themselves from the increasing demands upon their attention that constant connectivity presents in order to make mental room for the self-reflection and creativity needed to provide novel solutions and approaches towards their leadership work

How does risk mediate the ability of adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live a normal life by using the Internet?

The focus of this position paper is Internet use by adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Drawing on existing literature in the field we will identify problems with and gaps in the current research. Our review is framed by three main questions: What constitutes a ‘normal’ life for adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities? What constitutes ‘normal’ use of the Internet for adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities? How does risk mediate the ability of adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live a normal life by using the Internet? The key focus of this review is the complex relationship between adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and those providing support; how they negotiate access to and use of the Internet and how perceptions regarding risk and normalcy mediate this negotiation. As a result of this review will argue that identified gaps and problems in the research field need to be addressed by expanding both methodological and conceptual approaches. In particular we will propose the need for more in-depth qualitative research that is inclusive in nature. We will also propose that an adapted positive risk-taking framework might be useful in framing the design, implementation and analysis of future research

We are the Change that we Seek: Information Interactions During a Change of Viewpoint

There has been considerable hype about filter bubbles and echo chambers influencing the views of information consumers. The fear is that these technologies are undermining democracy by swaying opinion and creating an uninformed, polarised populace. The literature in this space is mostly techno-centric, addressing the impact of technology. In contrast, our work is the first research in the information interaction field to examine changing viewpoints from a human-centric perspective. It provides a new understanding of view change and how we might support informed, autonomous view change behaviour. We interviewed 18 participants about a self-identified change of view, and the information touchpoints they engaged with along the way. In this paper we present the information types and sources that informed changes of viewpoint, and the ways in which our participants interacted with that information. We describe our findings in the context of the techno-centric literature and suggest principles for designing digital information environments that support user autonomy and reflection in viewpoint formation

Digital disconnection : the impact on portuguese adolescents’ well-being

Digital disconnection behaviours emerge due to the overwhelming presence of digital technologies in people’s lives. The constant pressure to be online and connected has led individuals to reflect on their digital media practices and to search for healthier habits that do not include being in front of a screen. Hence, reducing or withdrawing from digital devices or social networks has become a growing trend in recent years, as well as a subject of interest for several researchers. However, studies on the potential outcomes of engaging in digital disconnection experiences are scarce. The present dissertation explores the digital disconnection journeys of Portuguese adolescents in­depth, starting by comprehending the motivations that lead to one’s urge to unplug from the digital world and then exploring the strategies implemented to conduct this new behaviour. Through this analysis, the final purpose is to assess whether digital disconnection experiences impact young individuals' well­being. This exploratory research follows a qualitative methodology, with interviews conducted to 20 Portuguese adolescents aged between 15 to 18 years old. The results have demonstrated important findings that enrich the research field of digital disconnection. According to the participants, the urge to better use their time, the harmful social pressure related to social media, as well as their toxic environment are the main motivators to withdraw from social networks and reduce screen time. Moreover, three predominant behaviours were identified regarding the digital disconnection approaches – drastic disconnection, progressive disconnection, and self­regulation. In conclusion, when analysing the outcomes of embracing this new behaviour, the results have shown that, although the immediate effect may be negative, one’s ability to overcome these challenges results in surprisingly beneficial outcomes for their well­being in the long run. Adolescents described building healthier routines, improving their friendships, surpassing personal insecurities, and sharing a feeling of self­accomplishment and discovery.Comportamentos de desconexão digital surgem como resposta à forte presença das tecnologias digitais na sociedade contemporânea. A constante pressão para estar online e conectado levou os indivíduos a refletirem sobre as suas práticas digitais e a procurar hábitos mais saudáveis, que não incluam estar demasiado tempo em frente a um ecrã. Deste modo, a redução ou abstinência de certos meios digitais ou redes sociais tem­se tornado uma tendência crescente nos últimos anos, bem como um tema de interesse para vários investigadores. No entanto, estudos sobre os potenciais efeitos de experiências de desconexão digital são escassos. A presente dissertação pretende explorar em detalhe os processos de desconexão digital dos adolescentes portugueses, começando por compreender as motivações que levam ao desejo de se desligar do mundo digital, seguido da exploração das estratégias implementadas para conduzir este novo comportamento. Através desta análise, o objectivo final consiste em avaliar se as experiências de desconexão digital têm impacto no bem­estar dos jovens. Este estudo exploratório segue uma metodologia qualitativa, com entrevistas realizadas a 20 adolescentes portugueses entre os 15 e os 18 anos. Os dados recolhidos demonstram resultados relevantes para o estudo da desconexão digital. De acordo com os participantes, a vontade de utilizar melhor o tempo, a pressão social relacionada com as redes sociais, bem como o facto de considerarem o ambiente digital tóxico, são as principais motivações para se desconectarem de redes sociais e reduzirem o tempo dedicado aos ecrãs. Foram identificados três comportamentos de desconexão digital predominantes – desconexão drástica, desconexão progressiva, e auto­regulação. Em suma, ao analisar os resultados foi concluído que, embora o efeito imediato possa ser negativo, a capacidade de superar os desafios leva a resultados surpreendentemente benéficos para o bem­estar a longo prazo. De acordo com as entrevistas, os participantes construíram rotinas diárias mais saudáveis, melhoraram amizades, superaram inseguranças e descreveram um sentimento de realização e descoberta pessoal

Online 'chats': fostering communitas and psychosocial support for people working across arts and play for health and wellbeing

Loss of work, furlough, and increased social isolation were prevalent for many working in the broad context of cultural and community engagement for health and wellbeing. This study set out to explore if and how regular online group interactions may foster social cohesion and provide support for these individuals during the critical time of the COVID-19 global pandemic. It was conducted in the context of the 'social cohesion chat' series led by a network called the Arts Play Health Community which was initiated in response to the pandemic as a way to bring those working in or connected to arts, play and health together during times of social isolation. Two qualitative focus groups with creative, participatory components were conducted with artists, researchers, evaluators, and arts/play managers (n = 11), and then analyzed using thematic analysis. Researcher ethnographic reflections and fieldnotes were also collected and analyzed. The authors engaged in reflexive online discussions to integrate and synthesize findings across different data. Four themes were constructed through the analysis procedure: (1) 'Building an online community as processes of communitas', spotlighting the importance of the non-hierarchical structure of the 'chats' particularly in relation to there being 'no end goal' to the online dialogues; (2) 'Individual and shared emotional experiences' that underpinned feelings of connection to others and the online space; (3) 'Psychosocial benefits' such as improving confidence and providing an opportunity to 'have a voice' in the community; and (4) 'The importance of facilitation', highlighting the opportunities the chats provided for participants to feel validated and valued as an active member of the community. The article concludes that constructing an inclusive and welcoming online community, where active participation is at the heart of regular social interactions can provide support for those working across arts and play for health and wellbeing. This was particularly important during the societal turbulence of the COVID-19 pandemic. It further concludes by noting the unique structure of these online dialogues as not being connected to institutions, with this playing a key role in allowing those in the community to 'be themselves' within it

Children's rights in the digital age: a download from children around the world

Evidence from across the world is telling us that no matter where they are from, more and more children are relying on digital tools, platforms and services to learn, engage, participate, play, innovate, work or socialise. Foreward Some two-thirds of the world’s almost three billion internet users are from the developing world, with the numbers growing every day. Many of these new users are children and young people; in fact in many countries, internet users under the age of 24 far outnumber the rest. A growing body of evidence from across the world is also telling us that no matter where they are from, more and more children are relying on digital tools, platforms and services to learn, engage, participate, play, innovate, work or socialise. There are already countless examples of how – when harnessed appropriately – digital tools can help promote human development, by closing gaps in access to information, speeding up service delivery, supporting educational and health outcomes, and creating new entrepreneurship opportunities. The power of technology to jump across borders and time zones, to join the once disparate, and to foster social connectedness, has provided the means for the children and young people of today to participate in a global society in ways previously not possible. Sadly, there are also new or evolving risks – exposure to violence; access to inappropriate content, goods and services; concerns about excessive use; and issues of data protection and privacy. As it becomes increasingly difficult to draw the line between offline and online, it is necessary for us to examine how this changing environment impacts the wellbeing and development of children and their rights. Ensuring that all children are safe online requires approaches that promote digital literacy, resilience and cyber-savvy. It is only in partnership that we can reach consensus on how to create a safe, open, accessible, affordable and secure digital world. Critically, children and young people’s profound insight must help inform, shape and drive this goal – which needs to focus on equity of access, safety for all, digital literacy across generations, identity and privacy, participation and civic engagement. In April of this year, the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and UNICEF co-hosted, in collaboration with PEW Internet, EU Kids Online, the Internet Society (ISOC), Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI), and YouthPolicy.org, a first of its kind international ‘Digitally Connected’ symposium on children, youth, and digital media. The symposium sought to map and explore the global state of research and practice in this field, and to facilitate sharing, discussion and collaboration among the 150 academics, practitioners, young people, activists, philanthropists, government officials, and representatives of technology companies from around the world.   &nbsp