Digital Detox -- Mitigating Digital Overuse in Times of Remote Work and Social Isolation

Abstract: Remote work arrangements and limited recreational options in times of social isolation increase the risk of digital overuse for individuals. Its consequences can range from impaired mental health to issues of technology addiction. A conformant countermovement has popularised digital detoxing, a practice that endorses to deliberately limit technology use to reduce digital involvement and physiological stress. In times of social isolation, however, digital networking may provide the principle access to social interactions. To provide empirical evidence about the sweet spot between mitigating digital overuse and perceived social connectedness, this paper proposes a mixed-methods design to scrutinise the impact of digital detox measures in a professional context. Possible results will help to better understand how digital overuse may effectively be mitigated by remote workers and what measures organisations can take to create a digital environment that supports employee satisfaction and mental health.