Yet, instead of resolving to use technology less, we might resolve to use it better. Many people appear to be thriving in their digital lives, and understanding their patterns of engagement can offer valuable insights for improving our own relationship with technology in 2025.
The impulse to cut back is understandable. The prevailing narrative surrounding digital tools, especially social media, paints a consistently bleak picture: addiction, deteriorating mental health, social disconnection, and political polarization. While these concerns merit serious attention, they represent only part of a more nuanced reality.
Academic research has documented a phenomenon known as “digital flourishing,” the positive experiences derived from engaging in social interactions online. This encompasses being motivated to pursue goals inspired by online experiences, feeling capable of engaging in civil discourse online, feeling in control of the time spent online, feeling connected to online communities, and feeling able to present one’s true self online. This research finds that people who are digitally flourishing are more likely to feel socially connected, inspired, and satisfied with their lives.
Building on this work, our team at the Archbridge Institute’s Human Flourishing Lab conducted a comprehensive survey to understand how prevalent digital flourishing is among people and its relationship with overall mental and social health.
Continue reading at The Washington Examiner.
Psychology of Flourishing
As we usher in a new year, countless resolutions will focus on our relationship with digital technology, with many centering on a singular goal: cutting back.
Yet, instead of resolving to use technology less, we might resolve to use it better. Many people appear to be thriving in their digital lives, and understanding their patterns of engagement can offer valuable insights for improving our own relationship with technology in 2025.
The impulse to cut back is understandable. The prevailing narrative surrounding digital tools, especially social media, paints a consistently bleak picture: addiction, deteriorating mental health, social disconnection, and political polarization. While these concerns merit serious attention, they represent only part of a more nuanced reality.
Academic research has documented a phenomenon known as “digital flourishing,” the positive experiences derived from engaging in social interactions online. This encompasses being motivated to pursue goals inspired by online experiences, feeling capable of engaging in civil discourse online, feeling in control of the time spent online, feeling connected to online communities, and feeling able to present one’s true self online. This research finds that people who are digitally flourishing are more likely to feel socially connected, inspired, and satisfied with their lives.
Building on this work, our team at the Archbridge Institute’s Human Flourishing Lab conducted a comprehensive survey to understand how prevalent digital flourishing is among people and its relationship with overall mental and social health.
Continue reading at The Washington Examiner.
Sophie Janicke-Bowles
Sophie Janicke-Bowles, PhD, is a positive media psychology fellow at the Archbridge Institute and an associate professor at Chapman University. Her interdisciplinary research and teaching intersect the field of positive psychology with media studies. Specifically, she is researching what type of usage and content of media can increase well-being, connectedness, transcendence, and prosociality across a variety of media platforms (i.e., social media, computer-mediated communication, films, TV, music). Dr. Janicke-Bowles received her Ph.D. in mass communication from Florida State University. She regularly blogs for Psychology Today and is the Director of Research at the Digital Wellness Institute.
Clay Routledge
Clay Routledge, PhD, is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the Archbridge Institute, where he also leads the institute’s Human Flourishing Lab. As a thought leader in existential psychology and human motivation, Clay translates research into practical insights that help people reach their full potential, build meaningful lives, and advance human progress and flourishing. Dr. Routledge received his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is co-editor of Profectus Magazine, an online publication dedicated to human progress and flourishing. He writes the weekly newsletter "Flourishing Friday."
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