Opt-out, abstain, unplug. A systematic review of the voluntary digital disconnection literature

Temporary and permanent disconnection from digital devices, platforms, or tools has gained traction from users and, subsequently, in academic discourse. A rapidly growing body of research focuses on so-called digital disconnection practices. However, the literature is highly scattered, with limited comprehensive work and consensus on essential foundations for this field. This study provides a systematic review of the digital disconnection literature following the PRISMA flow and Cochrane guidelines. We investigated 112 articles based on the following eight themes of digital disconnection: (1) definitions, (2) measurements, (3) prevalence, (4) motives, (5) strategies, (6) consequences/effectiveness, (7) relapsing, and (8) interventions. The review shows that research on this topic suffers from conceptual ambiguity and lacks consensus on terminology, definition, and measurement. As a first step to solving these lacunae, we provide a working definition, describing digital disconnection as a deliberate form of non-use of devices, platforms, features, interactions and/or messages that varies in frequency and duration with the aim of restoring or improving one’s perceived overuse, social interactions, psychological well-being, productivity, privacy and/or perceived usefulness. Moreover, we discuss the identified empirical and theoretical shortcomings and provide recommendations for future research.