Douglas A Parry

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam | VU · Department of Communication Science

In the last 10 years, many canonical findings in the social sciences appear unreliable. This so-called “replication crisis” has spurred calls for open science practices, which aim to increase the reproducibility, replicability, and generalizability of findings. Communication research is subject to many of the same challenges that have caused low re...

The association between depression and digital media use has received substantial research and popular attention in recent years. While meta-analytic evidence indicates that there is a small, positive relationship between digital media use and depression, almost all studies rely on self-report measures of digital media use. Evidence suggests these...

There is widespread public and academic interest in understanding the uses and effects of digital media. Scholars primarily use self-report measures of the quantity or duration of media use as proxies for more objective measures, but the validity of these self-reports remains unclear. Advancements in data collection techniques have produced a colle...

Due to the methodological challenges inherent in studying social media use (SMU), as well as the methodological choices that have shaped research into the effects of SMU on well-being, clear conclusions regarding relationships between SMU and well-being remain elusive. We provide a review of five methodological developments poised to provide increa...

Academic research, as a social system, functions as a market between research producers and research consumers. Conventionally, this market introduces information asymmetries between these market participants—research producers know far more about a study than research consumers. This asymmetry can erode trust in the credibility of findings. Transp...

There is substantial concern that social media use (SMU) negatively impacts well-being. Building on the idea that subjective evaluations of SMU can shape well-being effects, this study examined how two social media mindsets—agency and valence—relate to self-reported and logged SMU, and four well-being indicators (depression, anxiety, stress, life s...

In this entry, we underscore the importance of transparency and replicability in Political Communication research. Recognizing failures to replicate findings in the social sciences due to factors such as publication bias, questionable research practices, and limited access to materials, we emphasize the importance of open science practices. Open sc...

Many academics and pundits contend that social media use is the primary cause of an international youth mental health crisis. However, these claims often rely on correlational evidence, ignoring the confounding effects of developmental, environmental, social, and psychological factors that influence mental health. This oversimplifies the complex et...

Our understanding of typical smartphone behavior has only recently begun to advance due to the accessibility of increasingly valid data sources. Beyond analysing the frequency, duration, and content of smartphone activities, there is substantial value in understanding when people engage in particular forms of mobile media use, and data collection m...

Psychological science has thrived thanks to new methods and innovative practices. Journals, including Behavior Research Methods (BRM), continue to support the dissemination and evaluation of research assets including data, software/hardware, statistical code, and databases of stimuli. However, such research assets rarely allow for computational rep...

As smartphones become increasingly integral to daily life, their importance for understanding human behavior will only continue to grow. Recognizing the potential of objective data on smartphone usage and the challenges associated with raw Android event log data, this paper provides a foundational guide for extracting meaningful measures of smartph...

Importance In response to widespread concerns about social media’s influence on adolescent mental health, most research has studied adolescents from the general population, overlooking clinical groups. Objective To synthesize, quantify, and compare evidence on the association between social media use and internalizing symptoms in adolescent clinic...

Numerous academics and pundits contend that social media use is the primary cause of an international youth mental health crisis. However, these claims often rely on correlational evidence, ignoring the confounding effects of genetic, developmental, environmental, social, and psychological factors that influence mental health. This oversimplifies t...

For over a decade the media multitasking index (MMI) has been the de facto standard measure for media multitasking. Thousands of studies in communication and adjacent disciplines have used the measure to investigate the relationship between media multitasking and cognitive functioning. In this paper we pose one central question: Is it time to aband...

Enterprise social networks (ESNs) are a communication standard within virtual teams. Among other affordances, ESNs enable colleagues to provide each other with social support. In this paper, we analyzed the message logs of virtual teams in a large open-source software project to determine how virtual teams use ESNs to provide particular forms of so...

The study of digital disconnection – the voluntary non-use of digital media – is a growing research domain characterized by increasingly pluralistic approaches. To map this diverse terrain, we offer an analytical heuristic: a continuum of approaches to digital disconnection. This tool proposes one primary dimension – viewing digital disconnection a...

Enterprise social networks (ESNs) have become a communication standard within virtual teams. Alongside enhancing coordination and collaboration, ESNs enable colleagues to provide each other with social support. Given the heightened visibility of actions on ESNs, these social support behaviours are often viewable by all team members. Through qualita...

Distributed work practices are now commonplace, and many organizations have adopted virtual teams as a collaborative structure. To communicate and coordinate tasks, these teams increasingly rely on enterprise social networks (ESNs) like Slack and Microsoft Teams. Given the recent rapid spread of these practices, the process and nature of interperso...

Importance: There are many concerns about the link between social media use and adolescent mental health. However, most research has studied adolescents from the general population, overlooking clinical groups. To address this gap, we synthesize, quantify and compare evidence on the relationship between social media use and internalising symptoms i...

Purpose: High levels of online media use and permanent connectedness are common features of contemporary life in the developed world. In recent studies, the concept of online vigilance has been adopted to describe individuals’ chronic attentional orientation towards and engagement with their online spheres. The present study extends this notion by...

High-quality data are critical for research—knowing where data are from and understanding how they were collected is crucial to using data ethically and effectively. Social media companies, such as Twitter, Reddit, and Meta offer Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), which provide users with access to large-scale data sources that are generate...

Objective: Vaccines are an effective means to reduce the spread of diseases, but they are sometimes met with hesitancy that needs to be understood. Method: In this study, we analyzed data from a large, cross-country survey conducted between June and August 2021 in 43 countries (N = 15,740) to investigate the roles of trust in government and science...

There is growing recognition that many people feel the need to regulate their use of the internet and other digital technologies to support their well-being. In this study, we used Mozilla Firefox browser telemetry to investigate the role played by various usage factors in desires to regulate time spent online. In particular, we investigated how si...

The “brain drain” hypothesis posits that the mere presence of a smartphone may occupy limited-capacity cognitive resources and, as a result, negatively impact cognitive performance. In this research, to assess the strength of evidence for this effect, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis (k = 56, n = 7093). While results are nuanced a...

Increasingly, mobile applications, services, and features enable people to monitor and regulate their smartphone use in the support of their digital wellbeing. Herein we report a mixed-method study involving the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data from a student sample conducted with the aim of investigating, firstly, the adoption...

During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the COVIDiSTRESS Consortium launched an open-access global survey to understand and improve individuals' experiences related to the crisis. a year later, we extended this line of research by launching a new survey to address the dynamic landscape of the pandemic. this survey was released with the goal of a...

The use of instant messaging groups for various academic purposes is a rising, but largely understudied, trend in higher education institutions. In the present study we investigate the use purposes and outcomes of three types of academic instant messaging groups or AIMGs. Formal AIMGs are created and managed by teaching staff, class AIMGs are creat...

The chapter investigates digital distraction in college classrooms from the perspective of self-regulation theory. To this end, the chapter commences with a brief analysis of the distinction between behavioural and cognitive shifts in attention, the role of intentionality in digital distraction, and the concept of online vigilance. Thereafter the g...

There is growing recognition that many people feel the need to reduce and/or manage their use of the internet and other digital communications technologies in support of their wellbeing. To understand the role played by various usage factors in desires to regulate time spent online we used Mozilla Firefox browser telemetry to investigate how six me...

Cryptocurrencies, a new class of digital asset predominantly based on blockchain technologies, have gained immense popularity in recent years. Despite of advantages over traditional monetary systems such as lower transaction cost, increased transactional security, or transparency, cryptocurrencies are not free of disadvantages. The increase in popu...

Smartphones afford users the ability to select their own custom mobile application repertoires through the installation of a nearly endless array of applications. Acknowledging the need for increased attention to the description of digital media usage, this paper reports a quantitative descriptive study that investigates the types of applications t...

Due to the methodological challenges inherent in studying social media use (SMU), as well as the methodological choices that have shaped research into the effects of SMU on well- being, clear conclusions regarding relationships between SMU and well-being remain elusive. We provide a review of five methodological developments poised to provide incre...

The association between depression and digital media use (DMU) has received substantial research and popular attention in recent years. While meta-analytic evidence indicates that there is a small, positive relationship between DMU and depression, almost all studies rely on self-report measures of DMU. Evidence suggests these measures are poor refl...

In the decade since Ophir, Nass, and Wagner’s (2009) seminal study numerous researchers have investigated possible associations between media multitasking and cognitive control. Extending recent reviews, the present study provides a synthesis of extant research into this association across measurement approachs and cognitive functions. Following a...

Purpose: Against the backdrop of the increased prevalence of telework practices as a result of Covid-19, the purpose of the present article is to address the conceptual confusion, overlap and ambiguity characterising much of the published literature in this domain through the development of an integrated conceptual framework describing distributed...

High levels of Internet-based media use is a defining feature of behaviour among university students. A growing body of evidence indicates, firstly, that their learning activities are characterised by frequent switching between academic content and online media, and, secondly, that this form of behaviour is negatively associated with academic outco...

The original version of this chapter was revised. The missing acknowledgment has been added.

Purpose Online vigilance is a novel construct which describes individual differences in users' cognitive orientation to online connectedness, their attention to and integration of online-related cues and stimuli and their prioritisation of online communication. Its proponents argue that it is acquired through the processes of instrumental and atten...

PurposeOnline vigilance is a novel construct which describes individual differences in users’ cognitive orientation to online connectedness, their attention to and integration of online-related cues and stimuli, and their prioritisation of online communication. Its proponents argue that it is acquired through the processes of instrumental and atten...

High levels of Internet-based media use is a defining feature of behaviour among university students. A growing body of evidence indicates, firstly, that their learning activities are characterised by frequent switching between academic content and online media, and, secondly, that this form of behaviour is negatively associated with academic outco...

The influence of digital media on personal and social well-being is a question of immense public and academic interest. Scholars in this domain often use retrospective self-report measures of the quantity or duration of media use as a proxy for more objective measures, but the validity of these self-report measures remains unclear. Recent advanceme...

Increasingly, mobile applications enable people to monitor and regulate their smartphone use inthe support of digital wellbeing. Herein we report a mixed-methods study involving the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data from a student sample conducted with the aim of investigating, firstly, the adoption of applications designed to su...

High levels of digital media use have become a feature of university lectures. While certainly capable of supporting learning outcomes, studies indicate that, when media use is off-task, it presents as a disruption, distracting both users and those around them from academic tasks. In this study an exploratory, mixed-methods assessment of a media us...

In this paper we explore the use of four metaphors as a means to illuminate particular dimensions of social media logic—the norms, strategies, and economics underpinning its dynamics. Our objective is to utilise metaphor to instigate critical reflection about the nature of social media use behaviour and the role of habitual social media use in our...

In an increasingly digitally connected world researchers have sought to understand behaviour associated with digital communications media. We argue that a more consistent conceptualisation of media use behaviour and its etiological foundations is a necessary basis for research in this regard to progress. To this end, through the adoption of an affo...

Increasingly, research attention is being afforded to various forms of problematic media use. Despite ongoing conceptual, theoretical, and empirical debates, a large number of retrospective self-report scales have been produced to ostensibly measure various classes of such behaviour. These scales are typically based on a variety of theoretical and...

In this paper we explore the use of four metaphors as a means to illuminate particular dimensions of social media logic —the norms, strategies, and economics underpinning its dynamics. Our objective is to utilise metaphor to instigate critical reflection about the nature of social media use behaviour and the role of habitual social media use in our...

In an increasingly digitally connected world researchers have sought to understand behaviour associated with digital communications media. We argue that a more consistent conceptualisation of media use behaviour and its etiological foundations is a necessary basis for research in this regard to progress. To this end, through the adoption of an affo...

Increasingly, research attention is being afforded to various forms of problematic media use. Despite ongoing conceptual, theoretical, and empirical debates, a large number of retrospective self-report scales have been produced to ostensibly measure various classes of such behaviour. These scales are typically based on a variety of theoretical and...

Media multitasking has been associated with a number of adverse cognitive, psychosocial, and functional outcomes. In particular, associations between media multitasking and the executive or cognitive control processes theorised to underlie the execution of goal-directed behaviour have been shown. In response to calls for investigations considering...

In response to calls for IS researchers to investigate how digital natives are using information and communication technologies to shape their interpersonal interactions, an exploratory, survey-based study was conducted to investigate patterns of online social behaviour on two popular SNSs (Facebook and Instagram) and, on this basis, compare their...

The potential impact of rapidly advancing automation technologies on the demand for human labour has emerged as a prominent discourse in mainstream and academic media. In this study we advance this line of inquiry by determining the extent to which automation influences the career decisions of university students. 935 undergraduate students at a la...

Objective: The effects of off-task media use in academic settings on academic performance have been widely reported. In response, a range of interventions have been proposed. Among these have been calls for the cultivation of more effective self-regulation of media use. Against this backdrop, the present study investigates students’ self-regulation...

In response to calls for IS researchers to investigate how digital natives are using information and communication technologies to shape their interpersonal interactions, an exploratory, survey- based study was conducted to investigate patterns of online social behaviour on two popular SNSs (Facebook and Instagram) and, on this basis, compare their...

Media multitasking has been associated with a number of adverse cognitive, psychosocial, and functional outcomes. In particular, associations between media multitasking and the executive or cognitive control processes theorised to underlie the execution of goal-directed behaviour have been shown. In response to calls for investigations considering...

Limited attention has been afforded to mapping the ‘landscape’ of South African computing research. Prior studies have considered singular sub-disciplines, publications, or publication types. Given the growing prominence of computing disciplines, it is necessary to identify the patterns of research production, publication, collaboration, and impact...

The rapid advancement of mobile computing devices and the ever-growing range of infotainment services they enable have cultivated high levels of media multitasking. Studies have considered the effects of this form of behaviour for cognitive control ability, with findings suggesting that chronic media multitasking is associated with reduced inhibito...

A growing body of evidence indicates that university students frequently engage in off-task media use (OTMU) during lectures. While the bulk of research in this area has considered the frequency and impact of such behaviour, little work concerning the subjective and contextual factors that determine OTMU in academic settings has been conducted. In...

Extending from the increasing prevalence of media in personal, social, and work environments, research has indicated that media multitasking (i.e., engaging in more than one media or non-media activity simultaneously) is associated with changes in cognitive control and failures of everyday executive functioning. While more research is required to e...

Full Presentation: osf.io/yjrq5 Frequent use of personal computing devices like smartphones and laptops is prevalent in academic settings like lectures, practical classes and personal study sessions (Abramova et al., 2017). When students’ media use aligns with academic tasks, it can promote learning outcomes (Kong & Song, 2015). However, evidence s...

The growing prevalence of continuous media use among university students in lecture environments has potential for detrimental effects. In this study we investigate the relationships between in-lecture media use and academic performance. Previous studies have shown that students frequently engage with digital media whilst in university lectures. Mo...

The growing presence of digital media in the lives of university students signals a change in how use of such media in educational contexts should be viewed. Institutional focus on technologically mediated education and the promotion of blended learning initiatives further serve to encourage media use in academic settings. Scant attention has been...

The current generation of university students display an increasing propensity for media multitasking behaviour with digital devices such as laptops, tablets and smartphones. A growing body of empirical evidence has shown that this behaviour is associated with reduced academic performance. In this study it is proposed that the subject area within w...

Artificial intelligence (AI) research has become prominent in both academia and industry. With this, an interest in AI's ability to make sound decisions when compared to human decision making has grown. Predicting the outcome of sporting events has traditionally been seen as a difficult task, due to the complex relationships between variables of in...

The growing prevalence of continuous media use among university students in lecture environments has potential for detrimental effects. In this study the focus is placed upon the implications of digital media multitasking in a university lecture context for academic performance and learning. Previous studies reveal that students frequently engage w...

The South African electrical utility, Eskom, is faced with the problem of communicating information about the times and locations for rotational load-shedding. This paper challenges whether the current presentation format is an optimal communication medium. An alternative communication medium is proposed in the form of a map-based schedule. The val...