The Quality of Digital Experience Scale (QDES) and the Immersion in Digital Life Scale (IDLS) were developed to measure positive and negative experiences of digital technology use and the extent to which different facets of life were digital. Critically, the QDES and ILDS were developed to be independent of digital device or platform, thus providing a more holistic account of digital technology use than previous measures. The objective of the current studies was to validate the QDES and IDLS in German, French, Czech, Polish and Spanish. Across the studies, data from a total of 4,447 participants were analyzed. Confirmatory Factor Analyses confirmed a three-factor model for the QDES consisting of Wellbeing, Social Connectedness and Time and Efficiency. The IDLS was also confirmed as having a single factor structure. Reliability and validity analysis indicated that the QDES and IDLS showed good reliability and validity in all countries. The present study confirms that the QDES and IDLS offer reliable measurements of individuals’ interactions with technology in the digital era. By extending the validation of these measures beyond English, to German, Polish, Czech, French and Spanish, we expand researchers and policy makers abilities to establish the positive and negative impacts of digital practices on individuals and societies.

In this study, we utilized two newly developed and psychometrically validated instruments—the Immersion in Digital Life Scale (IDLS) and the Quality of Digital Experience Scale (QDES)—to investigate the relationships among Immersion in Digital Life (IDL), the Quality of Digital Experiences (QDE), individual Temporal Focus (TF), and the subjective Passage of Time (PoT). The study sample comprised 7536 participants across six European countries. Our findings indicate that a higher IDLS score and a higher QDES score are associated with an accelerated PoT. Our results revealed that a higher Future Temporal Focus (TF-Future) is related to an accelerated PoT. Moreover, there is an indirect effect of TF-Future on PoT via IDLS and the dimension Time and Efficiency of QDES. Specifically, individuals with a stronger TF-Future tend to engage in digital life to a greater extent and experience its beneficial effects, which in turn contributes to a faster subjective experience of time. Country-level differences emerged: participants in Poland reported the highest levels of IDL and the fastest PoT, while individuals in the United Kingdom exhibited the strongest Past Temporal Focus (TF-Past) and the slowest PoT. The results shed more light on the consequences of digital usage on time perception.

Digital technologies (DT) are embedded in daily life, yet their impact and the experience of use vary across age groups and cultural contexts creating disparities in access, skills, and perceived benefits. This study examines how age moderates the relationship between the Quality of Digital Experience (QDE)—comprising the three dimensions of social connectedness, well-being, and time and efficiency—and Immersion in Digital Life (IDL) across six European countries. Drawing on data from 5,270 adults, moderation analyses revealed that all QDE dimensions significantly predict IDL, raising social connectedness as the strongest contributor. Age moderated these relationships differently across countries: younger adults generally showed stronger associations between QDE factors and IDL, particularly well-being, whereas in Czechia and Poland, older adults demonstrated higher levels of digital immersion. In sum, digital engagement is shaped by experiential quality, age, and cultural context rather than following a uniform generational division. These findings highlight the need for inclusive digital policies and interventions that promote digital well-being across the lifespan.

There is growing awareness that wellbeing in today's digital age cannot simply be achieved by minimising digital engagement. Instead, it requires living well with digital technology and pursuing digital practices that afford a sense of productivity and user control. This study sought to identify and distinguish between types of digital technology use viewed as ideal, acceptable or tolerable and negative and determine what factors contribute to digital practices being evaluated this way. 50 semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals from the UK population. An inductive and interpretative thematic analysis of the data led to the creation of four themes, which differentiated between digital practices associated with (1) high productivity and high control (ideal digital engagement), (2) high productivity and low control (acceptable or tolerable technology use), (3) low productivity and low control (negative digital practices) and (4) low productivity and high control (mixed digital experiences). Quality of digital experience was shaped by how well the type of productivity afforded by specific digital practices aligned with user goals in a specific context and how well these practices supported user control in interaction with the context of digital engagement. As control was perceived to be restricted by external factors, such as digital functions and social norms, control-enhancing structural, societal and social changes may be needed to support digital wellbeing. In addition, non-prescriptive education that raises awareness of productivity and control as broad principles of good digital time could be helpful. However, further research is needed to investigate the effectiveness of such interventions.

This study investigates the cross-sectional associations between dark personality traits, time perspectives, passion, and procrastination. Drawing on Zimbardo's time perspective theory and Vallerand's dualistic model of passion, we examined how Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy relate to procrastination by means of temporal orientation and types of passion. A sample of 824 Spanish adults (ages 18–34), recruited via non-probabilistic quota sampling, completed validated measures of the target constructs. Structural equation modeling using a robust estimator revealed that subclinical psychopathy exhibits a significant indirect association with procrastination via a fatalistic present time perspective and obsessive passion. In contrast, narcissism and Machiavellianism showed no significant indirect associations. Harmonious passion was negatively associated with procrastination, while obsessive passion showed a positive link. Additionally, present hedonistic and future perspectives were linked to harmonious and obsessive passion, respectively. These findings highlight the role of temporal orientations and the two types of passion in understanding procrastination within specific personality profiles. The results suggest that these model-consistent conditional pathways may inform future intervention research targeting time perspective adjustments and passion regulation to alleviate procrastination tendencies.

This study investigates the mediating role of time perspectives and passion in the relationship between dark personality traits and procrastination. Drawing on Zimbardo’s time perspective theory and Vallerand’s dualistic model of passion, we examined how Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy relate to procrastination through temporal orientation and types of passion. A sample of 824 Spanish adults (ages 18–34) completed validated measures of the Dark Triad, time perspectives, passion, and procrastination. Structural equation modeling revealed that psychopathy significantly predicted procrastination via a fatalistic present time perspective and obsessive passion. In contrast, narcissism and Machiavellianism showed no significant indirect effects. Harmonious passion was negatively associated with procrastination, while obsessive passion was positively associated. Additionally, present hedonistic and future perspectives were linked to harmonious and obsessive passion, respectively. These findings highlight the importance of time perspectives in understanding how maladaptive personality traits influence the behavioral problem of procrastination. The results suggest that interventions targeting time perspective and passion regulation may be effective in mitigating procrastination, particularly among individuals with high psychopathic traits. This study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying procrastination and underscores the value of integrating personality, time orientation, and motivational constructs in behavioral research.

Digital technologies (DT) have become deeply embedded in everyday life, evolving into a key determinant of contemporary quality of life. However, the impact and the experiences of using DT are not homogeneous across age groups and cultural contexts. This study examines how age moderates the relationship between the Quality of Digital Experience (QDE) comprising the three dimensions of social connectedness, well-being, and time/efficiency and Immersion in Digital Life (IDL) across six European countries. Drawing on data from 5,270 adults, moderation analyses show that all QDE dimensions significantly predict IDL, identifying social connectedness as the strongest contributor to digital well-being. Age moderated these relationships differently across countries: younger adults generally showed stronger associations between QDE factors and IDL (particularly regarding the well-being dimension), whereas in contexts like Czechia and Poland, older adults demonstrated higher levels of digital immersion. These findings underscore the importance of integrating a life-course perspective and cultural context to understand subjective digital well-being, highlighting the need for applied policies and interventions that promote high-quality digital inclusion across the lifespan.

Despite the widespread use of digital technologies during free time and its potential benefits for wellbeing and recovery from work life, digital engagement is considered a low-quality form of free time that often results in significant regret and guilt. Given its increasing significance as an accessible source of relaxation and enjoyment in today's post-COVID digitised society and the negative health consequences of chronic regret and guilt, the current study sought to explore the drivers of guilt and regret following digital free time across Europe. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 150 participants from Czechia, Germany, Poland, Spain, Frenchspeaking Switzerland and the UK. A thematic analysis of the data showed that digital free time was perceived as inconsistent with the ideal of meaningful and self-determined free time and led to a spiral of guilty pleasure: Unintentional or involuntary uptake of digital activity, digital engagement beyond the desired duration and consumption of unwanted content were followed by a negative evaluation of one's own digital behaviour as a self-regulative failure and digital free time as unproductive, passive, unhealthy and inauthentic. The perceived meaninglessness and lack of control over digital free time engendered feelings of guilt and regret, which were maintained through continued digital engagement during free time. Measures to reduce guilt and regret may require societal-level changes in the way digital technology use during free time is portrayed in media and mainstream discourse in combination with structural changes to digital entertainment apps or services.

Most people perform best when being moderately challenged, while their motivation drops for very easy or very difficult tasks. We investigated the impact of task difficulty on task engagement, mood state, and the P3 component of the event-related brain potential (ERPs) reflecting the formation of confidence about performance. A group of young adults completed a random dot motion task with easy, moderate, and difficult blocks. We analyzed possible moderation effects of personality traits and self-regulation, as they explain tendencies to keep consistent motivation and persevere despite difficulties. Results showed, contrary to hypotheses, a benefit in mood and engagement when the task was easy rather than moderate or difficult. Interestingly, low perseverance predicted confidence about own performance when the task was easy, as evidenced in larger P3 amplitude. In contrast, participants scoring high in perseverance showed greater confidence in their responses in the difficult condition. Results did not support an explanation in terms of affect regulation. We propose that uncertainty about one's own ability could activate top-down confidence in persevering individuals, and the belief that if they work hard, will eventually succeed. This top-down confidence in the brain may be the source of the sustained effort characteristic of perseverance.

Digital devices are marketed as tools to improve efficiency and save time, however their use is also often associated with time pressure, time poverty and reduced wellbeing. Precisely how and why digital technologies reduce the availability of time is largely unknown. This study sought to explore the ways in which people experience a loss of time as a result of digital technology use. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 300 people from Spain, Poland, Czechia, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Thematic analysis of the interview data revealed that digital technology use impacted the way in which time was used, monitored and evaluated. Participants associated digital technology use with a loss of time, a desire to fill all time, a propensity to forget time and, as a result, a desire to gain greater control of time. As a result, the experience of loss of time to digital technology was associated with feelings of guilt, shame and a lack of self-control. The findings suggest that a combination of structural factors, including imperfect algorithm content provision and ease of device use, and attitudinal factors, including the belief that digital time was inauthentic, unintellectual or “bad for you”, lead to the perception of time loss through digital device use. Improvements in algorithmic content generation and greater acceptance of the benefits of time on digital media may help reduce the sense that time is lost to digital technology, and the associated feelings of guilt and loss of control.

Problematic internet use (PIU) has emerged, from the extensive use of the internet, as a concept to describe and understand the more adverse influences of digitalization on people's experiences. PIU refers to compulsive or excessive internet use leading to psychosocial impairments (among others, anxiety, depression, lesser well-being), and it has been studied from diverse perspectives. However, the mechanisms through which PIU could exert its impact on broader satisfaction with life (SWL) remain unclear. The present work postulates that psychological distress acts as a mediator between PIU and SWL. This hypothesis is tested in large participant groups (N = 7,536), representative of the normative population of six European countries in terms of age and gender. In the context of full structural equation modeling, analyses of direct and indirect effects show evidence for partial mediation of psychological distress between PIU and SWL, with the small positive direct effect of PIU on SWL reversing its valence to moderate and negative via the mediation of psychological distress in all six countries. These findings show that psychological distress is relevant to consider both in trying to define the limits of PIU as a construct and in considering its impacts on SWL in general.

BACKGROUND:Despite advances in technology and labour-saving devices, chronic time pressure, or the sense that you do not have enough time, is increasing globally. The implications of this for health and wellbeing are poorly understood. This study aimed to examine the impact of chronic time pressure on experiences of symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress in a European sample. METHODS:A cross-sectional design was employed. A sample of 7,570 individuals, representative of the populations of the UK, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Czechia and Poland in terms of age and gender participated. Participants completed a questionnaire containing demographic questions, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 to measure symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress and the Chronic Time Pressure Inventory to measure feelings of harriedness and cognitive awareness of time shortage. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine the predictive value of chronic time pressure on experiences of symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. RESULTS:Chronic time pressure was a significant predictor of symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress in all countries studied, accounting for between 5 and 24% of the variance in depression, anxiety and stress scores. Two factors of chronic time pressure differentially predicted symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. Whilst feeling harried was universally associated with increased scores for depression, anxiety and stress, cognitive awareness of time shortage was not consistently predictive of depression, anxiety and stress. CONCLUSIONS:Chronic time pressure is associated with reduced wellbeing. Feeling chronically harried is associated with increased experiences of the symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. The results emphasize the need for governments, employers and healthcare providers to prioritise reducing time pressure as a mechanism of improving wellbeing.

BACKGROUND:Given the significant gap in tailored assessment tools, this research seeks to adapt the Self-concept (Form 5-AF5) questionnaire for young students with intellectual disabilities, employing an inclusive approach. METHOD:Twenty-three disability experts initially assessed questionnaire suitability, leading to revisions for clarity. Cognitive interviews with eight students with intellectual disabilities clarified questions, and both original and adapted questionnaires were administered to students with and without intellectual disabilities for equivalence verification. RESULTS:The adapted scale showed good internal consistency. The correlation between scores of students without intellectual disabilities on original and adapted questionnaires exceeded 0.70. Students with intellectual disabilities reported higher levels of academic self-concept than their peers without intellectual disabilities. CONCLUSIONS:The adaptation of the Self-concept (Form 5-AF5) questionnaire in this research facilitates the comparison of diverse student populations, as demonstrated by the alignment of results between the original and adapted questionnaires in the general student population.

Introduction:Current methods of assessing digital technology use fail to adequately capture a holistic picture of how individuals experience digital technology during daily life. This is because current measures focus on measuring the frequency/duration of specific forms of technology use or problematic use. This research aimed to create two general measures of digital technology use and experience, respectively, which are flexible amid technological changes. Methods:The measured constructs were specified via bottom-up analysis of an international qualitative study (N=300) on post-covid digital practices. Across three studies we developed and validated the measures using data from 2227 participants. Results:Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses indicated that the Quality of Digital Experience Scale contains 26 items, measuring individuals' perceptions and overall experience of digital technology usage and its impact on Well-being, Time and Efficiency, and Social Connectedness. The second scale, the Immersion in Digital Life Scale consists of five separate questions concerning individuals' estimation of how much digital technology is present in different areas of life. Discussion:The scales offer reliable measurements of individuals' interactions with technology in the digital era. Their ability to capture engagement beyond frequency and duration will facilitate greater understanding of the complexities of the positive and negative impacts of digital practices on individuals and societies.