From Digital Addiction to Digital Wellbeing: Future Digitization and its Challenges in the Arab World

Technology has become powerful not only in terms of computational ability but also in its ability to catch the attention of users and keep them attached to digital life experiences. The excessive and obsessive use of technology can، in certain cases، exhibit symptoms similar to those found in behavioral addiction. In this paper، we study indicators that were considered important to define Digital Addiction and approaches that received initial evidence about their success in combatting it. We then explain the emerging notion of Digital Wellbeing that characterizes a healthy and positive relation with technology and how the design of technology can both reduce Digital Addiction and promote Digital Wellbeing، taking into account the recent life changes related to COVID-19 pandemic that also affected our relationship with technology and use of it. 

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Abstract

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Technology has become powerful not only in terms of computational ability but also in its ability to catch the attention of users and keep them attached to digital life experiences. The excessive and obsessive use of technology can، in certain cases، exhibit symptoms similar to those found in behavioral addiction. In this paper، we study indicators that were considered important to define Digital Addiction and approaches that received initial evidence about their success in combatting it. We then explain the emerging notion of Digital Wellbeing that characterizes a healthy and positive relation with technology and how the design of technology can both reduce Digital Addiction and promote Digital Wellbeing، taking into account the recent life changes related to COVID-19 pandemic that also affected our relationship with technology and use of it. 

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