Rikke Nyland Christensen - 3rd year PhD presentation
Are You Digitally Mature? Exploring key antecedents, competencies, and the development of a smart mobile application to encourage beneficial ICT use
Info about event
Time
Location
2628-303
Organizer
Supervisors: Marco Hubert & Marija Banovic
Discussants: Liisa Lähteenmäki & Darius-Aurel Frank
Abstract
The digital transformation is advancing rapidly, influencing many aspects of our lives. The accessibility and use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) are primarily driven by mobile devices, resulting in approximately 4.25 billion users worldwide (Statista, 2024). This widespread adoption of mobile devices has become deeply embedded in everyday activities, particularly among children and adolescents (Vissenberg et al., 2022).
The literature on the use of ICTs by young people has predominantly focused on screen time and digital literacy and lacks a more interdisciplinary perspective (Livingstone et al., 2018; Reid Chassiakos et al., 2016). While excessive screen time can have negative effects on young people’s health and well-being (van Deursen & van Dijk, 2015), digital literacy is perceived as important for enabling young people to engage safely and effectively with ICTs (Livingstone et al., 2018). However, recent research has highlighted the need for a more comprehensive understanding of young people's use of mobile devices, which considers the broader social and cultural contexts of their digital engagement (Livingstone et al., 2021). To address this need, the concept of digital maturity has been proposed as a more holistic approach to understand young people's ICT-related activities (Laaber et al., 2023).
This dissertation investigates the concept of digital maturity. By exploring the key factors contributing to young people’s digital maturity, the interdependencies among its core dimensions, and how a smartphone application can be designed to support more beneficial use, the aim is to broaden our understanding of a mature use of digital technologies.
In my 3rd-year PhD presentation, I will introduce a newly developed smartphone app-based intervention, ‘DigySMART,’ which has been co-created with young people. ‘DigySMART’ is designed to foster beneficial use of digital devices by helping young people establish and maintain a healthy balance in their digital technology engagement. Based on the findings, we highlight how young people’s use of mobile devices can be guided in a healthier direction, potentially enhancing their health and well-being. Furthermore, we emphasize the importance of incorporating young people’s perspectives into the design of technology-based solutions to support healthier digital behavior among youth.
Everyone is welcome!