Hitting Reset: Encouraging Digital Well-Being Behavior Change in College Students

Abstract:In this article, I explore the perceived digital well-being of undergraduate students and the effects of purposeful intervention on motivation and digital behavior change. Digital well-being can be defined as a concept of defining the impact of technologies on people's mental, physical, and emotional health (Shah, 2019). Smartphones are a necessary tool for a vast majority of today's college students, and their ability to manage the influence of their digital connection is a critical aspect of their overall well-being. This qualitative study included 22 undergraduate students at an institution in the Midwest. Participants were guided through a structured intervention to encourage self-motivated behavior change. Through this article, I outline how purposeful intervention around digital behavior change has a positive influence on self-perceptions of digital well-being. Implications for future practice and research are discussed.