When digital inequalities meet digital disconnection: Studying the material conditions of disconnection in rural Turkey

Abstract

Digital inequalities research has lacked a focus on voluntary non-use and its consequences, whereas digital disconnection studies have focused on non-use but neglected the material implications of digital inequalities. Located at the intersection between these two approaches, this article relies on twelve semi-structured interviews, observations and informal dialogues to examine digital media uses, inequalities and the meanings of disconnection in a village of rural Turkey. The findings show that the main inequalities are due to infrastructure, geography and socio-economic conditions. These inequalities shape the practices and meanings of digital disconnection, revealing obstacles, frustrations and a forced kind of disconnection that is very different from the romantic portrayal of detox retreats that dominate the literature in the Global North. The insights of this research illuminate the unexplored area of intersection between digital inequalities and disconnection, engaging a fruitful conversation that enriches both fields of inquiry and unfolds future research opportunities.

Mapping a pluralistic continuum of approaches to digital disconnection

“…This involves understanding the power dynamics and inequalities entwined in digital disconnection that go beyond the individual level (Kuntsman and Miyake, 2022; Van Bruyssel et al, 2023). From the material (Adams and Jansson, 2023; Bozan and Treré, 2023) to the cultural (Darling-Wolf, 2021; Fast, 2021), these structural dimensions are seen as overlooked from post-positivist perspectives, and thus call for interpretivist lenses to examine their meaning and effects on society. Yet, since interpretivism implies a dialog between the meanings produced by the actors under study and the meanings produced by the researcher (Benzecry, 2017; Reed, 2011), and because of the inherent distance (or lack of it) between them (Corbin Dwyer and Buckle, 2009), it relies on critical self-reflexivity and positionality during data collection and analysis – limiting the generalizability goals that post-positivist approaches aim for when seeking to understand what explains digital disconnection.…”

“…Finally, we do not present the continuum as a universal framework. Future iterations could highlight how cultural context shapes digital disconnection research (which has tended to focus on populations in WEIRD countries) and capture the meanings of digital disconnection across diverse contexts (Bozan and Treré, 2023) – although the socially meaningful approach would certainly help for that purpose. Instead, the continuum constitutes a living tool made by and for researchers studying digital disconnection, with new dimensions added as needed – as indicated by Figure 1’s ellipses.…”

Slow media, desconexión digital y periodismo reposado. Un balance crítico de la primera década de investigación

“…Janson, 2021), experimentos para averiguar los efectos y beneficios individuales de la desinfoxicación, en especial entre jóvenes (p. ej. Cáceres y Morales, 2015; El-Khoury, 2021), o trabajos acerca de dimensiones tan variadas como la relación inseparable entre conexión y desconexión (Natale y Treré, 2020); sus usos estratégicos por la institucionalidad o la relación entre desigualdad y desconexión (Bozan y Treré, 2023;Jansson y Adams, 2021); su potencial para la resistencia cultural (Kaun y Treré, 2020;Syvertsen, 2020); y sus múltiples contradicciones e incluso tendencia a la mercantilización (Kuntsman y Miyake, 2019; Natale y Treré, 2020).…”

Momentary Motivations for Digital Disconnection: An Experience Sampling Study

“…Qualitative and quantitative studies have recently identified central motivations for digital disconnection (for an overview see Nassen et al, 2023;e.g., Nguyen et al, 2022). Such studies capture how users reflect their disconnective behavior and underlying motivations in general, yet focus less on situational and contextual factors that are central to whether and how people engage in disconnection in daily life (see Bozan & Treré, 2023;Geber & Nguyen, 2023;Vanden Abeele et al, 2022). Within these contexts, individuals engage in a variety of digital disconnection MOMENTARY MOTIVATIONS FOR DIGITAL DISCONNECTION 3 practices to self-regulate their use of digital media (Nassen et al, 2023;Nguyen et al, 2022).…”

“…Prior research has mostly focused on voluntary, self-directed digital disconnection (Bozan & Treré, 2023). We propose that another relevant dimension of the digital disconnection conceptualization is the degree to which it is consciously versus habitually enacted, that is, with or without awareness and intention.…”