Digital Well-Being

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

In the 1970s, computers were the size of a room. Today, a typical smartphone fits discretely in a pocket and boasts more computing power than that of the Apollo 11 when it landed on the moon (Kaku, 2011). Since the first computers began entering people’s homes more than 30 years ago, human-computer interactions (HCI) have become central to people’s everyday activities. A decade later, the Internet powered another technological revolution by connecting computers and transforming how people connect. And only a dozen years ago, the advent of ultraportable computing devices such as smartphones marked the beginning of yet another technological age—one in which people can connect to unlimited digital worlds everywhere they go. In this digital age of pervasive computing and social media, people have access to valuable information, entertainment, and far-flung friends and family anywhere they go. But if digital communication technology provides such clear benefits by making our lives easier and more connected, why are we all not bursting with greater happiness and health? In this class, we will explore the costs and benefits of digital technology for well-being. We will explore how our digital lives impact our well-being through a range of theoretical perspectives while considering empirical findings about various aspects of digital technology: from social media and online communities to smartphones, email, notifications, and video conferencing. Finally, we will use the existing evidence to reflect on how we can harness the benefits and minimize the costs of digital technology in our lives while trying to imagine what a more human-centered technology of the future might look like. Prerequisites: PSYC-001 and PSYC-002.