The Managing Authority of the Operational Programme Jan Amos Komenský (OP JAK) recently announced the results of one of the most important Czech grant calls – Excellent research. The aim of the call was to support research of an interdisciplinary nature with high potential to produce excellent results that can be practically applied in the future. Other objectives were, for example, to increase the competitiveness of the Czech Republic in the European research field and develop international cooperation. Among other things, the Top-class Research Call is unique in that it can fund projects for 4.5 years with an expenditure of up to CZK 500 million. Among the successfully supported projects is DigiWELL, involving eight universities or research institutes across the country - and IRTIS has a significant role to play here.
What is DigiWELL?
DigiWELL, or Excellence in Research on Digital Technologies and Wellbeing, is a project by Steriani Elavsky from the University of Ostrava, who is also a long-time colleague of ours at IRTIS - we have worked together, for example, in the project Modeling the future: Understanding the impact of technology on adolescent’s well-being (FUTURE). DigiWELL aims to bring together excellent researchers from eight partner institutions and different disciplines to focus on the broad area of digital technology use in the context of physical, mental, and social wellbeing of populations. The project will map and analyze the impact of digital technology use on individuals and society, and will also focus on the development of new methods and tools to improve wellbeing (e.g. new smartphone apps and interventions). After data collection and analysis, we will collaborate with technology companies, government, and non-profit organizations to translate our new findings into a form that will have practical impacts and benefits for society.
Role of IRTIS in DigiWELL
IRTIS will lead a research project entitled "Short- and long-term impacts of digital technology use on the wellbeing of the general population," which will be led by Professor David Šmahel.
Current research on the impact of technology on wellbeing is still significantly limited in terms of methodology - as most existing studies are of cross-sectional design, and thus provide very limited insights into the impact of technology on wellbeing over time. We aim to use existing and newly collected data and innovative methods such as ecological momentary assessment to explore the impacts of technology on different forms of wellbeing. To do this, we will use advanced analytical methods to identify patterns of technology use that may be beneficial for wellbeing, but also those that may have a negative impact. We will then use these insights, for example, in collaborations with technology companies developing applications to support wellbeing.
Second, we will also be involved in a research package called “Experimental research on technology and wellbeing" led by Associate Professor Martina Hřebíčková from the Institute of Psychology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. The aim of this part of the project is to investigate the factors that influence aspects related to the adaptation and use of eHealth and mHealth applications (smartphone applications to support general and mental health). We will use innovative methods, such as eye-tracking, and the results obtained in this way will then make a significant contribution to the streamlining of eHealth and mHealth applications with the potential to promote the health of society.
The DigiWELL project starts in 2024 and we are very much looking forward to the new research, experiences, and insights the project will bring: not only to our research team, but also to society as a whole.
We will keep you informed about the project and our results on our website and social media platforms Facebook and X (Twitter). If you are interested in collaborating with us on our research projects, please do not hesitate to get in touch!
We used DeepL to translate this text.
