DIGITAL STRESS IN EVERYDAY LIFE

In our paper we want to explore inductively the perceived characteristics and forms of digital stress in people's everyday life. How do they describe digital stress, is it different from other forms of stress and how does digital stress express itself? The focus is not genuinely on the topic of digital stress, but on the attempt to make this phenomenon empirically tangible and to link it to concepts of digital wellbeing. If everyday discourses are primarily concerned with new possibilities or negative implications associated with the use of digital technologies and media, we would like to turn to a more holistic perspective which builds on subjective perceptions as well as practices. This ensures not only that the ambivalent potential of digital media is taken into account, but also that the media repertoire of the users is considered in its full complexit

Qualitative content analysis of media diaries with a focus on further qualitative online interviews

The dataset centres on a qualitative content analysis – as put forward by Mayring (2014) – of media diaries. The data are provided by Lisa Waldenburger and Jeffrey Wimmer and were collected through a panel study that combines various qualitative methods to explore the topic of digital stress. The given example focuses on the inductive analysis of a media diary and the formulation of first, research-leading interpretations. These interpretations inform the questions to be asked in a follow-up interview, which allows re-evaluating or enriching them in a semi-collaborative fashion. The dataset thus provides an insight into sequential long-term qualitative research and shows social science students (1) how to evaluate qualitative material in a content-analytical way and (2) how to derive further interview questions from this original analysis. The dataset files are accompanied by a teaching guide and a student guide

Digital media use in public space - an observational study of self-service-technology during Covid19-pandemic

The spread of digital media and devices in public spaces, so-called self-service technology (SST), is reaching more and more areas, so that it is now possible to interact with them for example when shopping, ordering or sending parcels. The use of SST is mostly supposed to be self-explanatory and intuitive, nevertheless it implicitly presupposes a certain degree of technical literacy. If this is not the case, digital stress can be triggered. But how do people deal with these devices, what role does the presence of others, the device itself and how it works, and the situational context plays? What influence do the measures to deal with the Covid-19 virus and the pandemic-related constraints have on the nexus of device, users and situation? This was investigated qualitatively in the present study by conducting participant observations. The advantage of this methodological approach is the consideration of contextual factors of the different practices and the direct observation of subjective evaluation processes on the use or even non-use of SST. This shows that characteristics of the devices – e.g. functionality, initiation and optionality – , situational contextual conditions – e.g. time and social pressure and spatial conditions –, and the subject themselves – e.g. age, routinisation and carried along baggage– play a role in dealing with SST and moderate the emergence of digital stress

DIGITAL MEDIA USE IN PUBLIC SPACE – AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY OF SELF-SERVICE TECHNOLOGY DURING COVID19-PANDEMIC.

The spread of digital media and devices in public spaces, so-called self-service technology (SST), is reaching more and more areas, so that it is now possible to interact with them for example when shopping, ordering or sending parcels. The use of SST is mostly supposed to be self-explanatory and intuitive, nevertheless it implicitly presupposes a certain degree of technical literacy. If this is not the case, digital stress can be triggered. But how do people deal with these devices, what role does the presence of others, the device itself and how it works, and the situational context plays? What influence do the measures to deal with the Covid-19 virus and the pandemic-related constraints have on the nexus of device, users and situation? This was investigated qualitatively in the present study by conducting participant observations. The advantage of this methodological approach is the consideration of contextual factors of the different practices and the direct observation of subjective evaluation processes on the use or even non-use of SST. This shows that characteristics of the devices – e.g. functionality, initiation and optionality – , situational contextual conditions – e.g. time and social pressure and spatial conditions –, and the subject themselves – e.g. age, routinisation and carried along baggage– play a role in dealing with SST and moderate the emergence of digital stress

Ein gesunder Umgang mit Smartphones? Eine zweistufige Analyse von Apps gegen digitalen Stress

Das Smartphone gilt als ein zentraler Auslöser von digitalem Stress, bietet aber gleichzeitig auch konkrete Bewältigungsstrategien an, die helfen können, einen gesünderen, stressfreieren Umgang mit digitalen Medien und Technologien zu erlernen. Ziel der vorgestellten Fallstudie ist es empirisch zu überprüfen, inwieweit Apps als Hilfsmittel gegen digitalen Stress taugen. Dazu wurde in einem ersten Schritt das weite Feld der digitalen Anwendungen inhaltsanalytisch systematisiert. In einem zweiten Schritt wurden ausgewählte Angebote zur Stressreduktion und zur Steigerung von Medienkompetenz im Nutzer*innen-Alltag getestet