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Sustainability
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Global Digitization: Digital Literacy, Inequality, and Wellbeing among Diverse Populations
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Global Digitization: Digital Literacy, Inequality, and Wellbeing among Diverse Populations

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 35077

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Wenjie Duan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Social Work, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
Interests: evidence-based practice; intervention; assessment; QoL; happiness
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Xinfeng Cheng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Management and Economic, Xi’an Institute of Technology, Xi’an, China
Interests: wellbeing among diverse populations

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This call for papers for a Special Issue is a global forum that focuses on digital literacy and human beings’ wellbeing. There is an increasing interconnection between the domains of digital technology and society. Digital advancements are supporting and accelerating the achievement of sustainable development in light of enhancing connectivity, financial inclusion, access to trade and public services. However, people’s everyday practices with digital media have changed, and inequalities caused by the uneven diffusion of new technologies are being revealed, especially as the world is challenged with one of the biggest public health crises of the century—the COVID-19 pandemic. Significant differences in digital literacy levels or digital application levels exacerbating the inequalities that exist in society reveal the evolution of digitization and, in some cases, of digital exclusion for specific groups. Therefore, research regarding global actions on promoting digital literacy and humans’ wellbeing and outcomes of digital use are needed based on development that meets the needs of the present. Therefore, we welcome articles that address dialogues at the interface of digital literacy and humans’ wellbeing and the health effects of digital use by people in different groups. Articles relating to areas of the digital divide and inequality, digital literacy, information and communication technology, digital health/health management information and global health, COVID-19, social interaction, and digital capital are welcomed.

This issue is open, but not limited to, theoretical and empirical papers regarding digital literacy coverage.

Suitable topics also include, but are not limited to:

  • Technologies and health inequality.
  • Human rights and technology.
  • Policy and digital economy.
  • Digital technologies and the environment.
  • Governance and accountability in the digital age.
  • Information services and digital literacy.
  • Digital technologies’ use and mental health.

We welcome quality articles in the above areas from scholars worldwide.

Articles will be submitted for double-blind peer review.

Dr. Wenjie Duan
Dr. Xinfeng Cheng
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • digital divide and inequality
  • digital literacy
  • digital technology
  • digital health/health management information and global health
  • COVID-19
  • social interaction
  • digital capital

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 3893 KiB  
Article
A Bibliometric Analysis of Digital Literacy Research from 1990 to 2022 and Research on Emerging Themes during the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Chen Wang and Li Si
Sustainability 2023, 15(7), 5769; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15075769 - 26 Mar 2023
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 6660
Abstract
Due to the rapid advancement of digital technology and its contribution to sustainable development, digital literacy has become an increasingly significant research topic. However, the uneven distribution of new technologies has caused emerging inequalities, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, one [...] Read more.
Due to the rapid advancement of digital technology and its contribution to sustainable development, digital literacy has become an increasingly significant research topic. However, the uneven distribution of new technologies has caused emerging inequalities, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most significant public health crises of the century. This paper aims to conduct an in-depth analysis of scientific production using bibliometric methods to comprehend the current research status of digital literacy studies and evaluate the pandemic’s impact on such research. In total, 7523 documents published between 1990 and 2022 were identified and analyzed using bibliometric research methods in the Web of Science database. These methods included growth trend analysis, network analysis, highly cited literature analysis, factor analysis, and time-series-based analysis of frequently discussed topics. Additionally, a word cloud analysis of the keywords in digital literacy literature from 2020 to 2022, during the COVID-19 pandemic, was created. The study’s outcomes explore digital literacy research, including current trends, significant publications, and institutions involved in the field. This study emphasizes the importance of digital literacy in today’s society, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also highlights the potential of bibliometric analysis as a tool for identifying research gaps. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Digitization: Digital Literacy, Inequality, and Wellbeing among Diverse Populations)
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18 pages, 1340 KiB  
Article
Longitudinal Associations of Children’s Hyperactivity/Inattention, Peer Relationship Problems and Mobile Device Use
by Veronika Konok and Rebeka Szőke
Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8845; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148845 - 19 Jul 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 5323
Abstract
Children with emotional, behavioral or relationship problems may be more inclined to use mobile touchscreen devices (MTSDs: mobiles and tablets) to regulate their emotions or compensate for the lack of social relationships, which, in turn, may affect their symptoms. Bi-directional longitudinal associations between [...] Read more.
Children with emotional, behavioral or relationship problems may be more inclined to use mobile touchscreen devices (MTSDs: mobiles and tablets) to regulate their emotions or compensate for the lack of social relationships, which, in turn, may affect their symptoms. Bi-directional longitudinal associations between behavioral difficulties and MTSD use were analyzed. Participants were parents of children aged 4–6 years old at first data collection (n = 173), and 7–9 years old at second data collection (n = 98). They reported on their child’s MTSD use and behavioral difficulties at two time points (T1 and T2). It was analyzed whether T1 MTSD use predicts T2 behavioral difficulties (controlling for demographics and T1 behavioral difficulties); and whether T1 behavioral difficulties predict T2 MTSD use (controlling for demographics and T1 MTSD use). Additionally, cross-sectional associations between behavioral difficulties and MTSD use were analyzed. Children’s T1 hyperactivity/inattention score positively associated with T2 MTSD use, and peer relationship problems and MTSD use positively associated in T2. Pre-schoolers with more hyperactive inattentive symptoms may use MTSDs more to regulate their emotions. The association between peer relationship problems and MTSD use in T2 is consistent with poorer socio-cognitive skills in MTSD user children and may be bi-directional. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Digitization: Digital Literacy, Inequality, and Wellbeing among Diverse Populations)
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31 pages, 3040 KiB  
Article
Exploring Digital Literacy Skills in Social Sciences and Humanities Students
by Ana Iolanda Vodă, Cristina Cautisanu, Camelia Grădinaru, Chris Tănăsescu and Gustavo Herminio Salati Marcondes de Moraes
Sustainability 2022, 14(5), 2483; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052483 - 22 Feb 2022
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 21864
Abstract
Digital literacy is among the mandatory abilities to any higher education level and represents a fundamental ingredient in successful professionalization. Considering the deep penetration of digital technologies in everyday life, digital literacy offers a set of transversal skills that could improve a whole [...] Read more.
Digital literacy is among the mandatory abilities to any higher education level and represents a fundamental ingredient in successful professionalization. Considering the deep penetration of digital technologies in everyday life, digital literacy offers a set of transversal skills that could improve a whole area of activities, from banking operations to civic participation. However, these skills are diverse and vary according to the development of technologies and society. This study fills an important academic gap on digital literacy by placing it in a specific and well-defined context, analyzing different perspectives that involve such learning, such as predictors of digital literacy in different types of students. In addition, research increases its importance as it is being developed during the pandemic, a period characterized by accelerated technological use and sudden changes. This research used a quantitative design based on the answers to a questionnaire conducted from March 2021 to May 2021. From a methodological perspective, we tested several hypotheses using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) within the structural equation model (SEM). The results show that communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, and technical digital skills are more present in the case of students enrolled in social sciences, while other digital skills (i.e., creativity and information) are more prevalent in the case of humanities students. Moreover, the results showed that, except for creativity and problem-solving-related digital skills, all of the digital skills were significantly influenced by students’ different levels of education. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Digitization: Digital Literacy, Inequality, and Wellbeing among Diverse Populations)
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