Momentary Motivations for Digital Disconnection: An Experience Sampling Study

A much-discussed solution for undesirable (over-)use of mobile technologies lies in digital disconnection. Reasons for why individuals reduce their digital media use have been assessed mostly cross-sectionally without accounting for various disconnection practices across everyday situations. The present study focuses on three situational motivations to disconnect: to (a) avoid distractions, (b) improve well-being, and (c) be more present. A two-week experience sampling study with 230 participants yielded 7,360 situations of disconnective behavior. Results show that motivations to avoid distractions and to be more present were relevant for disconnection on the situational level. However, a person’s average level of these motivations did not predict disconnective behavior. The well-being motivation was not associated with disconnection either between or within participants. Additional analyses explore variation across time and different conceptualizations of digital media use. We discuss the exploration of further motivations and how goal proximity may influence which motivations translate to disconnection.