Interventions to Reduce Problematic Digital Consumption

Abstract

This dissertation examines interventions for reducing problematic digital consumption, specifically, smartphone and social media usage, and methods for enhancing interventions’ effectiveness. Chapters 1 and 2 present a dual-target intervention designed to sustain behavior change following the discontinuation of monetary incentives. By incentivizing the reduction of undesirable consumption patterns while promoting beneficial alternative activities, this approach was tested in two field studies targeting social media and smartphone usage. Results indicate that participants who met set targets consistently during treatment exhibited lower social media / smartphone usage compared to those with a single consumption reduction target. This finding offers policymakers a tool to enhance the long-term impact of behavioral interventions against digital addiction and holds potential for the application of habit formation in other domains that focus on behavior change. Additionally, it presents opportunities for social marketers to introduce products aiding in addictive behavior management. Chapter 3 compares the effectiveness of existing interventions targeting problematic smartphone and social media use. Through a grounded framework, causal evidence from intervention studies is synthesized using multivariate, multilevel meta-analytical models. The findings indicate that interventions had a small-to-medium effect on reducing consumption and improving consequences (such as depression, anxiety, or sleep quality). The analysis revealed significant heterogeneities in effect sizes, suggesting that factors such as age and gender may influence intervention design in meaningful ways. This research synthesis provides valuable guidance for future interventions, emphasizing the importance of considering diverse demographics and study factors in intervention planning and implementation.