Digital+Health+&+Wellness

Digital Health & Wellness Brian Scot Willis, Mayra Angel, Tanya Barker and Joe Scheper

**This Word Cloud and Voicethread will explain our Digital Citizenship Element, which is...**

 * DIGITAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS**



Digital Health and Wellness is as vital an aspect of digital citizenship as any other. The tenets of this concept are centered on the notion that an individual’s health and well-being need not (and should not) be sacrificed in order for him/her to enjoy the benefits of digital media. An appreciation of Digital Health and Wellness ensures that users of technology develop habits that facilitate a symbiotic relationship between themselves and the apparatuses that they like using. When this is accomplished, people will experience practical and recreational use of their technological devices without suffering physical and or psychological ramifications in the process. It is now understood that technology users (especially young people) are not likely to discontinue use of their equipment because of discomfort, a fact that can have serious long-term implications for regular users (Ribble & Bailey, 2010). While most people are aware of common technology related ailments such as carpal tunnel syndrome, there are other issues that can affect individuals on levels that transcend the physical. Rather than guessing how to go about using technological devices appropriately, users should develop an awareness of Digital Health and Wellness, as it is a more certain means of determining how to establish healthy habits in the use of technology. After all, it is easy to make assumptions that seem logical, but that aren’t realistic. It is commonly believed, for instance, that technology users are not as susceptible to psychological harm from excessive use of their devices if they maintain active lifestyles. However, studies have shown that “the risk of psychological difficulties was still increased by about 50 percent for the highly active group when they spent more than two hours watching TV or using the computer” (Gordon, 2010). The reliability of Digital Health and Wellness omits this guesswork from the safe and effective use of technology.

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