New measurements of digital technology use: the Immersion in Digital Life and Quality of Digital Experience scales

IntroductionCurrent methods of assessing digital technology use fail to adequately capture a holistic picture of how individuals experience digital technology during daily life. This is because current measures focus on measuring the frequency/duration of specific forms of technology use or problema...

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Main Authors: Joanna Witowska, Ruth Ogden, Christine Schoetensack, Katarzyna Goncikowska, Marc Wittmann, Vanda Černohorská, Nuria Codina, Chantal Martin-Soelch, Mónica Fernández Boente, Georgina Giner, José V. Pestana, Julie Papastamatelou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychiatry
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1595536/full
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author Joanna Witowska
Ruth Ogden
Christine Schoetensack
Katarzyna Goncikowska
Marc Wittmann
Vanda Černohorská
Nuria Codina
Chantal Martin-Soelch
Mónica Fernández Boente
Georgina Giner
José V. Pestana
Julie Papastamatelou
author_facet Joanna Witowska
Ruth Ogden
Christine Schoetensack
Katarzyna Goncikowska
Marc Wittmann
Vanda Černohorská
Nuria Codina
Chantal Martin-Soelch
Mónica Fernández Boente
Georgina Giner
José V. Pestana
Julie Papastamatelou
author_sort Joanna Witowska
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionCurrent methods of assessing digital technology use fail to adequately capture a holistic picture of how individuals experience digital technology during daily life. This is because current measures focus on measuring the frequency/duration of specific forms of technology use or problematic use. This research aimed to create two general measures of digital technology use and experience, respectively, which are flexible amid technological changes.MethodsThe measured constructs were specified via bottom-up analysis of an international qualitative study (N=300) on post-covid digital practices. Across three studies we developed and validated the measures using data from 2227 participants.ResultsExploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses indicated that the Quality of Digital Experience Scale contains 26 items, measuring individuals’ perceptions and overall experience of digital technology usage and its impact on Well-being, Time and Efficiency, and Social Connectedness. The second scale, the Immersion in Digital Life Scale consists of five separate questions concerning individuals’ estimation of how much digital technology is present in different areas of life.DiscussionThe scales offer reliable measurements of individuals’ interactions with technology in the digital era. Their ability to capture engagement beyond frequency and duration will facilitate greater understanding of the complexities of the positive and negative impacts of digital practices on individuals and societies.
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spelling doaj-art-71d5ecde1ed2479cb24b44643b2ab21d2025-08-20T03:15:43ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402025-06-011610.3389/fpsyt.2025.15955361595536New measurements of digital technology use: the Immersion in Digital Life and Quality of Digital Experience scalesJoanna Witowska0Ruth Ogden1Christine Schoetensack2Katarzyna Goncikowska3Marc Wittmann4Vanda Černohorská5Nuria Codina6Chantal Martin-Soelch7Mónica Fernández Boente8Georgina Giner9José V. Pestana10Julie Papastamatelou11Institute of Psychology, The Maria Grzegorzewska University, Warsaw, PolandSchool of Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United KingdomSchool of Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United KingdomInstitute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, PolandInstitute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, Freiburg, GermanyInstitute of Philosophy, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, CzechiaDepartment of Social Psychology and Quantitative Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, SpainClinical and Health Psychology Unit, Department of Psychology, University Fribourg, Fribourg, SwitzerlandClinical and Health Psychology Unit, Department of Psychology, University Fribourg, Fribourg, SwitzerlandDepartment of Social Psychology and Quantitative Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, SpainDepartment of Social Psychology and Quantitative Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, SpainInstitute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, Freiburg, GermanyIntroductionCurrent methods of assessing digital technology use fail to adequately capture a holistic picture of how individuals experience digital technology during daily life. This is because current measures focus on measuring the frequency/duration of specific forms of technology use or problematic use. This research aimed to create two general measures of digital technology use and experience, respectively, which are flexible amid technological changes.MethodsThe measured constructs were specified via bottom-up analysis of an international qualitative study (N=300) on post-covid digital practices. Across three studies we developed and validated the measures using data from 2227 participants.ResultsExploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses indicated that the Quality of Digital Experience Scale contains 26 items, measuring individuals’ perceptions and overall experience of digital technology usage and its impact on Well-being, Time and Efficiency, and Social Connectedness. The second scale, the Immersion in Digital Life Scale consists of five separate questions concerning individuals’ estimation of how much digital technology is present in different areas of life.DiscussionThe scales offer reliable measurements of individuals’ interactions with technology in the digital era. Their ability to capture engagement beyond frequency and duration will facilitate greater understanding of the complexities of the positive and negative impacts of digital practices on individuals and societies.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1595536/fullimmersiondigital experiencedigital technologymeasurementsscale development
spellingShingle Joanna Witowska
Ruth Ogden
Christine Schoetensack
Katarzyna Goncikowska
Marc Wittmann
Vanda Černohorská
Nuria Codina
Chantal Martin-Soelch
Mónica Fernández Boente
Georgina Giner
José V. Pestana
Julie Papastamatelou
New measurements of digital technology use: the Immersion in Digital Life and Quality of Digital Experience scales
Frontiers in Psychiatry
immersion
digital experience
digital technology
measurements
scale development
title New measurements of digital technology use: the Immersion in Digital Life and Quality of Digital Experience scales
title_full New measurements of digital technology use: the Immersion in Digital Life and Quality of Digital Experience scales
title_fullStr New measurements of digital technology use: the Immersion in Digital Life and Quality of Digital Experience scales
title_full_unstemmed New measurements of digital technology use: the Immersion in Digital Life and Quality of Digital Experience scales
title_short New measurements of digital technology use: the Immersion in Digital Life and Quality of Digital Experience scales
title_sort new measurements of digital technology use the immersion in digital life and quality of digital experience scales
topic immersion
digital experience
digital technology
measurements
scale development
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1595536/full
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