Craig J.R. Sewall

I have studied the relationship between digital technology use (e.g., social media, smartphones) and well-being intensively for the past 5 years, first as a PhD student and now as a postdoctoral scholar. I have developed a specific interest and expertise in the methods used in this area of research, with a particular emphasis on measurement. I have published multiple articles in peer-reviewed journals on the issue of faulty measurement in digital technology research (see References below). Most recently, I was part of an international team of researchers who, after conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of research in this area, found that self-report measures of digital technology use are highly inaccurate. This work was published last month in the journal Nature Human Behaviour (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-021-01117-5) and has received attention from popular outlets like Psychology Today (https://tinyurl.com/pbpd9yf8) and Fast Company (https://tinyurl.com/rvf87ab8).

References:

Parry, D. A., Davidson, B. I., Sewall, C. J. R., Fisher, J. T., Mieczkowski, H., & Quintana, D. S. (2021). A systematic review and meta-analysis of discrepancies between logged and self-reported digital media use. Nature Human Behaviour. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01117-5

Sewall, C. J. R., Bear, T. M., Merranko, J., & Rosen, D. (2020). How psychosocial well-being and usage amount predict inaccuracies in retrospective estimates of digital technology use. Mobile Media and Communication, 8(3), 379–399. https://doi.org/10.1177/2050157920902830

Sewall, C. J. R., Goldstein, T. R., & Rosen, D. (2021). Objectively measured digital technology use during the COVID-19 pandemic: Impact on depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation among young adults. Journal of Affective Disorders, 288, 145–147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.04.008

Sewall, C. J. R., & Parry, D. A. (in press). The role of depression in the discrepancy between estimated and actual smartphone use: A cubic response surface analysis. Technology, Mind, and Behavior. https://osf.io/mzywt/