Emotional response and mental distancing from social media
Digital disconnection isn鈥檛 just a physical act. For youth, affective reactions play an important part in how they deal with their digital connectivity.
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禄You鈥檙e always supposed to be available. I never really get a break from social media, even though it鈥檚 precisely the constant connection that I want to avoid, for sure.禄 Sumera (18)
In her book chapter 鈥淚 feel like a peasant among goddesses鈥�: Digital disconnection as affect and process among Norwegian youth (2024), researcher Mehri Agai explores how the concept of affective dissonance is useful for understanding they way youth deal with digital disconnectivity.
People increasingly question their reliance on digital technologies, and the concept of disconnection has gained a lot of traction over the past years. But who is actually able to log off, for whom is it important, and how do they manage disconnectivity in their everyday lives?
芦Once I鈥檝e done that [turned off the phone], it feels really good to let go of all the hassle that comes with social media. But, it can get lonely.禄 Sarah (17)
As part of her doctoral project, Agai has done in-depth interviews with Norwegian youth about digital disconnection. Exploring how they react to invasive connective media, she finds that affective (emotional) reactions to digital impulses are an integrated part of young people鈥檚 daily management of digital connectivity. The experiences may be negative 鈥� Sarah (17) describes how 鈥淚 get all scrambled in the head when notifications come from every direction and so many friends are waiting for my response 鈥� but these experiences don鈥檛 necessarily lead to physical disconnection practices.
From young people鈥檚 perspectives, digital disconnection not only involves being physically separated from connectivity but also encapsulates attitudinal shifts and mental distancing.
鈥淚鈥檝e become quite aware of my aimless mobile use, though it hasn鈥檛 led to me using my phone any less. The only difference is now I鈥檓 quite mindful of the moments when I feel the urge to check my screen for new messages.鈥� Mathilda (17)
Based on these findings, this book chapter posits that disconnection is also an affective state that does not necessarily transform into action or practice, but is as much about the potentiality to act. This chapter thus recognises digital disconnection as a process based on youths鈥� perspectives, acknowledging its affective facet, and contributing to a broader conceptualisation of disconnectivity beyond acts and practices.
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