Protection of health and mental well-being

As information technologies penetrate more and more into study, work, and leisure activities, they impact a complex and complicated phenomenon, which can be described as health and lifestyle. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being." This definition is sometimes challenged as unrealistic because who can say that it is in such a state? On the other hand, this definition opens up completely new and deeper thought horizons for us, which allow us to explore and reflect on the phenomenon of health in a certain way. The concept of health as the absence of disease places the phenomenon of health at the centre of attention (almost exclusively) of medicine—the idea of WHO emphasizes that it must also be considered socially, psychologically or philosophically. DigComp then directly relates health to technology and asks to what extent technologies shape or affect human health, or more specifically - what competencies a person must have to be healthy in the information society.  

In this context, it is possible to identify several areas directly related to digital competencies and health. First of all, it is an area of ​​socially pathological phenomena in the cyber environment, which is a topic that is strongly reflected in theoretical discourse, with cultural work also devoted to it. The online environment also brings cyber bullying, cyber grooming, sexting, stalking and cyberstalking, and many more. Thus, the topic of the misuse of technology to harm another person. 

These phenomena are undoubtedly severe and can have long-term or fatal consequences. It should be emphasized that theoretical equipment against such attacks is certainly as valid as knowledge of the legal environment. Still, at the same time, indeed, the victim is always in a challenging situation, both mentally and socially. It is, therefore, always necessary to approach it with a sufficient degree of empathy. Knowledge of computer security plays one of the essential elements in preventing such attacks, but it does not necessarily mean that it contains such behavior. 

One of the essential competencies in this area is the ability to promptly identify the problem, either for oneself or for others, and the effort to intervene as quickly and effectively as possible, which can often have the character of close cooperation with the police or other authorities. These are usually school or work problems, which involve more possible institutions in solving them.   

We would like to frame health issues somewhat more broadly - first of all, there is the dimension of working with digital devices to suit a person physically. How high and far the monitor should be, what mouse to buy, and what exercises to do so our backs don't hurt. To this end, the phenomenon of finger pain and the discussed impairment of fine motor skills appeared from the touch devices. These topics are related to the ergonomics of the entire work environment, which is described further below. 

We have learned to have a phone or tablet with us at all times, which on the one hand, increases the availability of information. Still, at the same time, phenomena such as technostress or information overload are highlighted. There is a blur in working hours, which results in problems with rest and a feeling of well-being. The work is never done, the person is always available, etc. The employee's right not to be online outside working hours is one of the exciting contributions to discussing digital competencies, i.e. how to use technology in the right way and what it is “right".      

Last but not least, this area also includes bad judgments or cognitive distortion. These are phenomena that we know well from the analog environment, but they are gaining a much stronger meaning in the cyber world. A person selectively or erroneously assesses different situations that can lead to damage or disruption of the social and cultural network in which they move - whether at the level of misperception of information or damage to relationships and communication channels. This is one of the elements commonly used by advertisements, disinformation campaigns, and many other problematic projects. It has a faster and more intense impact on the online environment. Part of the health in the online environment is undoubtedly a reflection of these problems.    

One of the information society phenomena is the availability of information, or rather its negative form, which is referred to as information overload - a person in such a state cannot adequately process and evaluate information. While in standard models of cognition, information is used to bridge some difference between the world and an individual's inner experience.  In the case of information overload, there is so much information that the individual cannot effectively organize his cognitive processes and information is more detrimental to him than beneficial.        

In addition, it is also possible to encounter a subsequent phenomenon, namely the growing stress from information overload, traditionally referred to as technostress. Both phenomena negatively affect both work efficiency and health as defined by the WHO. At this point, therefore, we will not be talking about any psychologizing disputes about whether it is a specific phenomenon or not. Rather, that the reflection of information overload as a fact, that is reflected in the overall well-being. 

The first problem that technostress is associated with is the question of work efficiency. This has been growing since the 1960s, when the information revolution began, which impacted the economy and the human psyche. Although in more creative jobs, people spend a lot of time on activities that are not directly related to work, the pressure on their performance and creativity is excellent. In recent years, there has been multitasking, i.e., we perform more activities simultaneously, which negatively contributes to work efficiency and stress. In other words, the change in work processes associated with the information society results in extraordinary demands on the human psyche.      

Thus, the necessary digital competence is something we could call the ability to organize and manage tasks. It should, in principle, no matter whether we're done (GTD or Getting Things Done), Kaizen, Timeboxing, or anything else. It is necessary to learn to reorganize the whole work environment in a new and systematic way so that on the one hand you can fulfill all tasks, but at the same time have the opportunity to concentrate and immerse yourself in work or study.       

One of the main topics that arise in this area is time spent on social networks. These are generally services where a person spends a lot of time, but at the same time, even if he is not on them, he can think about what is happening to them. Therefore, it is crucial to find your own rules for how much time you want to spend on social networks, including when and how. Similarly, the mechanisms of working with e-mails are also discussed, where many people are advised to pay attention to them only once a day. Regular checking of the mailbox takes too much time, shatters engagement, and doesn’t result in much other than replies to emails.   

Undoubtedly, this area will include overall personal information and data management. We have already talked about the topic - namely, how to organize notes, documents, files, etc. here, it acquires a new dimension. Failure to manage this activity affects the overall work environment, leading to reduced efficiency, stress, etc.

This area also includes where, when, and how we use mobile devices - it is generally recommended not to use them for at least an hour before bed. Etiquette then forbids them during social events or meetings. The ability to be “offline" has been debated recently, and there are events or initiatives that address just such an “information detox." We do not want to make any arbitrary judgments here that one should be without digital technologies for at least a week. Still, we would like to draw attention to the fact that there is also freedom from something in addition to the freedom to do something. And the latter does not have addicts, which can be an exciting test for some self-experiential activity.     

In general, the better a person can guard and set his information environment, the better he can say what he wants to let into it (and when) and what it does not, the better he will live in the information society. As in the case of socially pathological phenomena, prevention may not be 100% effective, but it is importantly better and more effective than solving all problematic consequences.  

At this point, we would like to show - relatively methodologically unfounded - three possible cases of socially pathological (or at least problematic) behavior to indicate the dynamics, effectiveness, and difficulty of defense in the online environment on a specific narrative level.

The story can, of course, go on, but it shows three crucial moments - an acquaintance who looks serious, but we don't know him. This is the first significant security risk. Social verification is robust in this area. The second moment is the possibility of easy image manipulation - creating a photomontage that is recognized only by a person's professional or sexual partner is easy to learn and does not take too much time. The defense against such manipulation is tough and refutes the fact that it is an original photo. The social footprint of such behavior is extensive, and the damage to a person's reputation is excellent. Time pressure is also an essential element - the attacker tries to reduce the space for rational thinking or intervention to a minimum.  

It must also be emphasized that these are not attacks that only happen to women. Men are also at the same risk. The only difference is the technique of what the photographs will be - the attacker typically threatens nudity or general vulgarity in women, a tiny penis or similar forms of ridicule in men, which the victim cannot easily refute.

This story again has several important moments important for the description of the online environment. The teacher enters a cyber environment where he strives for openness, involvement, and help to his colleagues. So he acts like a connectivist teacher. He is one of the good examples of practice. However, entering the online space carries considerable risk. At the same time, the teacher thinks that he knows who is attacking him, but he has no actual means to do so. The presumption of innocence must be honored. Once such an interaction process occurs, it can have an avalanche effect - videos and comments can spread further, not only affecting the teacher as a person rooted in school. However, it can quickly damage his entire professional profile with the community of other teachers.   

The option would be to remove the videos, which is problematic for many reasons, or moderate the discussion, which is also not easy to sustain, and the teacher could do nothing but wait for a new post to appear. As in the first case, it is impossible to search here for easy solutions or universal formulas, and it is necessary to strive for continuous, especially preventive activity. It is possible to offer videos only to a particular community of people who will create a safe environment for a given person, which is often difficult to estimate. 

This story is also characteristic. First of all, as in the first case, it is a violation of the law, albeit with a problematic sanction to enforce, and above all, with almost zero satisfaction in the social context. Taking pictures is a standard part of intimate life, which reduces the possibility of avoiding them altogether. It is a problem or conflict with a close person and who is not expected to do so. Such images often have to harm the other, reduce his attractiveness for a potential new partner, etc. But very often, they are published out of sheer anger, without much thought or intentionality.      

It is possible to try to download or block images here, but this is not possible immediately. It is necessary to accept that the photos will be seen by a large number (typically mutual friends, colleagues, or classmates). The original, though not universally applicable procedure was used by the photographer Cecilie Bødkerová, who photographed Emma Holten, who was damaged in this way, reading, brushing her teeth, and naked. Although it is an unacceptable approach, the pursuit of insight is probably one of the pillars of achieving health in the event of a conflict in the online environment.      

Nathan Jurgenson talks about The Disconnectionists - people who accept technology as such do not call for a return to nature or do not want to disrupt social networks, but think about whether we are not too overwhelmed by technology. Therefore, the ability to disconnect at a chosen time gives room not to be in the tow of technology, but on the contrary, to gain a certain autonomy over technology. Tomáš Halík, a well-known Czech sociologist of religion, goes to the hermitage every year. It is a place where he is not burdened with worries, contact with others, duties and can concentrate only on himself, his inner world or write a book in peace.

Disconnectionists are people who continue the tradition of desert fathers from the period between the 3rd-6th centuries AD—for centuries, fleeing civilization and the hustle and bustle of the world into the desert. And like some of them, they deliberately and thoughtfully return to their social ties and work. The key is that it is possible for a person to psychologically break from the hustle and bustle of the world. In the context of digital technologies, this often refers not only to general psychohygiene, but also to digital detox or diets. One can even meets with special events or stays that are associated with disconnection from the networks. 

As already mentioned, the goal of Disconnectionists is not to disconnect from society permanently but to find a specific healthy and functional balance and connection, associated with strengthening the feeling of mental well-being, balance, and autonomy. At the same time, it reveals a broader trend that we can frame with the concept of digital minimalism. It is a set of measures, techniques, procedures, or even social discourse, which tries to show that using the technique 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is not a suitable way to spend time.   

Tim Cook, Apple's chief, said he turned off notifications on his iPhone. That is precisely the function that the iPhone was able to make famous and bring to it a huge number of users and completely change human interaction with applications. The reasons are clear - he wants to focus on what he is doing and not be constantly distracted and disturbed. Google first started digital wellbeing in 2018, when it placed an application on Android that monitored the time spent in individual applications. This is now followed by a set of Digital Wellbeing Experiments tools, which are clear - to give the user feedback on how much time their hands spend with a mobile phone and help them reduce this time. The current situation is so complex and sensitive that if we do nothing, many users will not be able to use the technology because their work productivity and general satisfaction will collapse so much that they will begin to reject technology.

Digital minimalism follows several themes, but we can point out at least some:

• Reducing notifications and better structuring time - It is said that living in a time when we are constantly disturbed by something, it is increasingly difficult to concentrate because new notifications and alerts significantly limit the possibilities of scheduling tasks. What is highly recommended is to set clear rules for working with social networks or e-mail, for example. Give precise control over new messages, set a response time, and, above all, get rid of notifications. The result will be more focused working time and greater satisfaction. 
  
  
• Hiding one’s mobile phone - a rule that looks strange at first glance but is very practical; if you are learning or working, it pays (if possible) to hide your mobile phone in a drawer and not look at it at all. Alternatively, it is possible to help an application such as Forest. By not seeing or hearing a cell phone and not having it on hand, we can more easily focus on essential things. 
  
  
• Being offline for at least 14 days a year - or split this time into two or three shorter sections. Thanks to this disconnection, we gain new experience with ourselves and may be able to consider some of our work habits. But most of all, we will benefit from our improved mental health. 
  
  
• Limitations of social networks - social networks are, on the one hand, a good source of information and communication, but also a place where we spend a significant amount of time, which is both unproductive and void of rest. It is, therefore, one of the least suitable environments for spending free time. At the same time, we lock ourselves in filter bubbles, encounter misinformation or flamewars. These are negative phenomena that we must learn to deal with. Limiting time spent on them, but also setting your own rules can help significantly. 
   
• Working with positive psychology  - this is a set of small techniques that can significantly impact how we feel. For example, it is recommended to work with positive (not harmful) goals and emphasize motivation, feedback (supportive and formative), or transition rituals. If you go home from work or vice versa, always give yourself 15 minutes of acclimatization while doing nothing or in your life. Include elements of meditation. All this helps in building a specific life connection.    
• Reducing cognitive stress - here, we return partly to the first point. It is to try to structure our activities to reduce the mental burden, i.e. plan time, take notes, organize work, make to-do lists, think about what we are doing. Again, these are small activities that can gradually contribute to the feeling of digital balance.  

The topic of digital minimalism is, of course, broader. This includes an emphasis on a pleasant working environment, such as the appropriate set of applications. They work only with the functions that the user needs, in a simple and affordable form (here, Apple is a long-term leader). But this also includes a broader reflection on what applications and information resources we use, how they suit us, and whether we need them.  

As strange as it may seem, this digital competence is not only linked to a skill in using technology but also to develop the ability to integrate it into one's personal and professional lives in order to contribute to the quality of life, and not stress, overload or create a sense of technology slavery.  ​