L'uso e l'effetto dell'auto-nudging per ridurre l'uso dei social media sugli smartphone

This paper explored the effects of self-nudging on reducing social media usage, and its impact on users’ well-being. The findings from this paper provide valuable insights into the potential of using self-nudging systems as a behavioral intervention tool in the context of digital use. Indeed, by enabling individuals to design their own behavioral interventions through modification of their own choice architecture, self-nudging offers a unique approach to managing social media use and improving mental health. The experiment showed that participants who implemented the OneSec app, which served as a self-nudging system, showed a significant and consistent decrease in their average screen time and in the number of times they accessed their target app over the course of the two weeks making up the experiment. However, the findings also revealed that self-nudging can lead to negative emotional responses, including feelings of guilt, frustration and self-criticism. Nevertheless, this study did not manage to find meaningful moderating variables impacting the strength of these relationships, as much on the behavioral change side as on the emotional response side. Still, by examining both the positive outcomes as well as the negative emotional responses associated with exposure to this self-nudging system, a broader interpretation of these results was made possible through the integration of both these aspects. This holistic approach aims to contribute to the knowledge and awareness of nudging, its uses and impacts but mostly on the negative affect it can have on users. It hopes to raise awareness on the “dark side” of nudging, which is a concept that is not very represented in the current research within the field of behavioral psychology and nudging. The implied consequence of the existence of this emotional burden counterpart to the effectiveness of the behavioral change is the necessity of keeping in mind the emotional cost that comes from self-imposed nudges when designing nudging systems or interventions. This ultimately will enhance overall user experience while maintaining efficacy of the behavioral intervention, which will lead to a better result for all parties involved.