Although many individuals feel dissatisfied with the amount of time they spend online, most individuals find it immensely difficult to reduce or regulate their social media use. Until now, research within the area of digital overuse has primarily focused on addressing when and why individuals engage in overuse, highlighting the responsibility of the user. However, such a user-centered approach ignores that these technologies are specifically designed to drive user engagement, which might thus play a crucial role in self-regulation of technology use. Currently, we lack systematic, empirical research and a theoretical conceptualization of these engagement-by-design features (e.g., notifications) and their effects.

Therefore, this project will look closely at the design features embedded in social media and how these foster engagement and contribute to digital overuse, while at the same time consider if there are design features that could achieve the opposite and improve user experiences and digital well-being. Moreover, we want to map the prevalence of these design features, their underlying mechanisms, and scope out opportunities for intervention.

Overall aim of the project is to provide

1. a systematic overview of current engagement-by-design factors and their underlying mechanisms
2. current insights on user experiences and attitudes towards these design strategies, and
3. a field observation and intervention study that investigates the interaction of individual and design factors on digital well-being and the effectiveness of implementing countermeasures.