This is your mind on tech: Promoting digital well-being in universities

As you click on this article and begin to read it, it triggers a cascade of reactions that flow through your mind and body. Parts of your brain related to learning, language and memory light up. Hormones like dopamine or cortisol surge in anticipation of learning something new or as a reward for novelty. Maybe your breathing pattern changes. Maybe your mood shifts. 

If digital disruption is anywhere, it is in your head. 

While the consequences of this disruption are important for anyone using technology, it is of particular concern for university students. Not only is higher education competitive and mentally demanding, but it is also a key time for self-discovery and making social connections, both online and off.

“The current way we live and interact with the word is built around digital connection. There is a lack of appreciation for how habits form, and the passive use and constant connection undermine attention, mindfulness and human interaction,” said Lisa Bevill, IE University Professor and Academic Director for the IE Center for Health, Well-Being & Happiness. “These habits can form a negative spiral, which can then create more anxiety around studies and limit students’ ability to meet the normal challenges of learning and engagement in university life.”

Exactly how technology impacts performance or social interactions, however, remains something of a mystery. And although it seems very 21st-century, the debate has been raging for thousands of years. Even Socrates decried the technology of writing, insisting that it is an ineffective communication tool and will adversely affect memory. In hindsight, it’s a good thing that Plato wrote his argument down.

In terms of digital technology, some studies have found that intensive online consumption can impair working memory and attention, and decrease performance on cognitive tasks, but the results have been largely disputed. 

 According to a 2020 review of existing scientific literature, this discrepancy between studies “might be related to the fact that digital media per se are neither good nor bad for our minds.” In other words, it depends on what one consumes, and how one consumes it. 

Individuals can often tell when their digital habits have crossed the line from healthy to obsessive. Doomscrolling, constantly refreshing social media feeds, wasting hours online, or even getting FOMO while offline are common habits that most would say detract from a positive and productive life. In these cases, technology is no longer a tool for connection, but becomes an escape from everyday life. 

Indeed, several studies have found a correlation between social media use and mental health problems like anxiety and depression, particularly in younger cohorts.

At the same time, many of the apps or websites we spend time on are expertly designed to suck in as much attention as possible. Persuasive technology is carefully honed to tap into human psychology and push people into certain behaviors. Design elements like notifications, comments, likes and the infinite scroll are all crafted to keep users hooked to online platforms. 

While individuals can take important steps to increase digital well-being and regain control over their digital habits, they are often battling major societal and biological forces. It’s hard to go it alone. Anna Lembke, who wrote Dopamine Nation, even goes as far as calling smartphones the “modern-day hypodermic needle.”

That’s why institutions like universities are being called upon to help students enhance their digital well-being. At IE University, for instance, support now goes beyond mental health services and approaches the issue more proactively.

“We support students in building awareness of their use of technology, share the science around the impact of healthy and intentional use of technology and promote strategies to put into practice for increased well-being and flourishing,” said Bevill.

In 2019, IE University began offering seminars to enhance students’ performance in the modern world. The seminars particularly emphasize helping students cope with the bombardment of alerts and notifications coming from digital devices. Some master’s students are also offered a workshop that introduces the science of attention, equips them with tools to track their distractions and resources to help them better improve their attentional performance. 

Meanwhile, the infusion of humanities across the IE’s curriculum aims to empower students to think critically about how technology interacts with societies and their own lives. The university also hosts hundreds of clubs and initiatives to build community and help create meaning through service. 

As centers that prepare people to live successful and productive lives, helping students understand both the benefits and dangers of technology and how to find the right online balance has never been more important. 

“The challenges of university life in our current society and context do not change, it is how we choose to see and engage in those challenges that can change through cultivating greater balance and well-being,” added Bevill.