Gerodimos R. (2017), “From “being tethered” to “going unplugged”: media addiction and the role of unplugging as a transformative tool of digital literacy” in B. De Abreu, P. Mihailidis, A. Lee, J. Melki and J. McDougall (eds), International Handbook of Media Literacy Education, London: Routledge, pp. 337-353
Abstract:
Concerns about the effects of media on consumers are not new; in fact, they are as old as broadcast and even print media themselves. Like television and video games, the emergence of the web and social media, smartphones and tablets as objects embedded in the fabric of our daily lives, gave a rise to a torrent of hopes and fears.
This chapter reviews the literature on digital media uses and effects and considers a media literacy approach to tackling media dependence. It starts by looking at the evidence on digital media effects, so as to map potential areas of concern:
- Developmental Damage and Displaced Time With Parents
- Effects on Learning and Academic Performance
- Effects on Social Relationships
- Mental Health, Social Skills and Problematic Internet Use
It then examines the role of media in young people’s daily lives and spaces, and the implications of the blurring of the boundaries between public and private space. It considers the role of digital media literacy in addressing some of these challenges and presents the results of a qualitative research study and pedagogic experiment in which 190 students unplugged completely for 24 hours and then reflected on their experience.
Media use is directly and intrinsically linked to our well-being, life satisfaction and happiness. Crucially media themselves can be part of the solution. As digital technologies become ever more organically embedded in our bodies, homes, workspaces and daily routines, as the spaces and contexts in which we use media are expanding, so must the support structures that digital and media literacy offers: creating opportunities for consumers to reflect on their lives and realities through, with and without media; encouraging them to alter and reshuffle their media habits and routines so as to step out of their comfort zones; providing them with the tools to re-envisage their social environment.
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Coding Sheets for Unplugged study – click on the images to download the Word docs
