Digital well-being and health: A fundamental right and personal responsibility

Digital technology is now part of our daily lives. We use smartphones for social media, work, and education. However, this reliance has health implications that we must consider.

Excessive screen time can lead to serious health issues. Physically, it may cause eye strain, headaches, and fatigue. It can also result in aches in the wrist, back, neck, and shoulders. Poor sleep quality is another common problem.

Mentally, constant connectivity can lead to depression and anxiety. People may feel detached or isolated from real-life interactions. Emotionally, overusing technology distracts us from meaningful activities.

This article discusses digital wellness and its importance for our health. Digital wellbeing refers to how technology affects our physical, mental, and emotional states.

In organizations, digital wellness focuses on maintaining employee health through technology use. Advances in technology have improved work processes and education significantly.

However, devices should promote healthy usage habits. Digital wellness involves recognizing unhealthy relationships with technology rather than just disconnecting from devices.

Maintaining digital wellness helps individuals stay engaged and productive. It leads to healthier lives with less exhaustion and distraction.

The COVID pandemic forced many to adopt digital technologies quickly. Remote work and online education became the norm during this time.

Ignoring digital wellness can have negative effects on well-being. Here are some conditions related to excessive technology use:

Doom Scrolling:
Doom scrolling involves obsessively seeking negative news online. This behavior leads to irritability and unproductivity while harming mental health.

It increases feelings of anxiety and depression while reducing life satisfaction. Those affected often struggle to maintain a positive outlook.

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO):
FOMO is the anxiety of missing out on experiences or opportunities due to social media use. This fear often arises when people disconnect from their devices.

The need for constant connection can lower self-esteem and increase stress levels. It may also disrupt sleep patterns for many individuals.

Gen Z and millennials often create virtual lives that differ from reality. They rely heavily on emojis or quotes for emotional expression online.

Seeking Validation:
Many seek validation through likes or comments on social media platforms. While it's natural to want recognition, chronic seeking can harm mental health.

People who depend on external approval may experience fluctuating self-esteem levels when they don’t receive it. Constant comparisons with others online can lead to feelings of inadequacy.

Social media often showcases unrealistic portrayals of life that foster these feelings (Kumar 2024).

Cyberbullying:
Cyberbullying uses digital platforms to harass others through hurtful comments or messages (Kaspersky.com 2024). This behavior causes significant emotional distress for victims like children or teenagers (Cowie 2023).

Victims may face reduced self-esteem or even suicidal thoughts due to ongoing harassment (Høgsdal et al., 2025). The impact extends beyond victims; it affects families and witnesses too.

Despite these challenges, digital devices can also promote well-being through various applications that track health data effectively during the fourth industrial revolution.

Wearable gadgets collect vital health information like heart rate or oxygen levels now more than ever before.

Patients increasingly turn to Google instead of healthcare professionals when they notice symptoms.

Reliable sources remain crucial as misinformation spreads easily online.

Virtual hospitals gained traction during the COVID pandemic by allowing remote consultations with healthcare professionals worldwide.

The World Health Organization emphasizes complete well-being beyond just being disease-free.

Their Global Strategy on Digital Health aims at integrating resources effectively at national levels between 2020-2025.

To maintain digital wellbeing:

Researchers recommend prioritizing healthy tech usage for balanced physical and mental health.
Digital detox interventions involve taking breaks from social media regularly (Thomas et al., 2022).
Studies show these breaks reduce stress while improving sleep hygiene overall.

Organizations observe National Day of Unplugging annually promoting a full day without tech since March 4th-5th each year (Radtke et al., 2022).
Setting boundaries around screen time helps safeguard children's well-being early on.
Mindful social media practices are essential since scrolling becomes addictive quickly.

Establishing ground rules within organizations encourages workers not only switch off but limit non-critical communications too (Rosencrance & Fitzgibbons 2022).
Creating tech-free zones allows individuals space away from screens while setting notifications reminds users about limits set previously regarding usage times spent online regularly throughout days ahead!
Taking regular breaks during prolonged screen time is highly recommended as well!

Prioritizing our digital wellbeing matters just as much as caring for physical health does! Awareness empowers us all towards better choices regarding device usage habits moving forward!