Studying digital disconnection: A mapping review of empirical contributions to disconnection studies

Abstract

As digital connectivity continues to shape society, scholarly discourses have paid increasing attention to our desires to moderate our use of, or disconnection from, digital media. Digital disconnection is being studied from a plethora of different perspectives, all of which grapple with the challenge of understanding and studying how digital media users navigate pressures to disconnect and remain connected at the same time. We contribute to the growing literature on digital disconnection by taking stock of empirical studies on the topic through a mapping review. Drawing on 138 peer-reviewed articles, we report the different kinds of disconnection behaviors studied, the users sampled, and the methods used. Our findings indicate that, while there are various calls for the greater incorporation of intersectional and socioeconomically diverse perspectives on disconnection studies, thus far these facets remain comparatively under-researched. We also find two key methodological tendencies, one toward one-time data generation via interviews and surveys, the other toward studies that rely on participants’ temporary disconnection.