Digital Health and Wellbeing: Sociological Perspectives on Emerging Technologies

Friday, 11 July 2025: 09:00-10:45
Location: FSE036 (Faculty of Education Sciences (FSE))
WG10 Digital Sociology (host committee)

Language: English

The digital health technologies has significantly transformed the landscape of healthcare and personal wellbeing. This session explores the sociological dimensions of digital health, emphasizing the complex interplay between technology, society, and individual behavior. We will examine how digital health tools, including mobile health apps, wearable devices, telemedicine, and online health communities, impact various aspects of health and wellbeing. Key themes include the democratization of health information, shifts in the patient-provider relationship, and the digital divide's role in exacerbating health inequities.

Our discussion will concern empirical research and theoretical frameworks that highlight the sociocultural implications of these technologies. Presentations will delve into how digital health tools influence health behaviors, self-care practices, and perceptions of health among diverse populations. We will also address the potential for digital health technologies to both mitigate and amplify existing social inequalities, considering factors such as access, literacy, and socioeconomic status.

A critical analysis of the ethical and privacy concerns associated with digital health data will be provided, scrutinizing how data governance practices affect user trust and the broader implications for public health policy. Additionally, the session will explore the role of digital health in the context of global health crises, which has accelerated the adoption of telehealth and highlighted both the potential and limitations of digital interventions.

This session aims to foster an understanding of digital health's sociological impacts and stimulate discussions on developing inclusive, equitable, and effective digital health strategies.

Session Organizers:
Mikolaj BIESAGA, Poland, Prof. Anna DOMARADZKA, Associate Professor, University of Warsaw, Poland and Ewa DOMARADZKA, WSB University, Poland
Oral Presentations
Digital Capital: A Lens for the Study of Digital Exclusion from Health Care Services
Barbara FERSCH, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
The Dark Side of Trust: How Trust in Online Health Information Impacts Well-Being and Mental Health
Wenjin CHEN, Division of Public Policy, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong; Naubahar SHARIF, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong; Zhang HAOMING, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
Mental Health in the Digital Age: Sociological Analyses of Application in the Neoliberal Context
Milena Geisa DOS SANTOS MARTINS, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Developing Digital Mental Health Tools: Examining the Ways That Digital Mental Health Tools Are Produced across Australia and the Philippines
Benjamin HANCKEL, Western Sydney University, Australia; Jan Michael Alexandre BERNADAS, De La Salle University, Philippines; Pryor PLACINO, Western Sydney University, Australia
Development and Validation of the Internet-Related Quality of Life Scale in Older Adults
Katarzyna ZAWISZA, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Poland; Barbara WOZNIAK, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Poland; Michalina GAJDZICA, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Poland; Karolina MAJDAK, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Poland; Natalie JAGŁO, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Poland; Paulina SEKULA, Jagiellonian University, Poland; Beata TOBIASZ-ADAMCZYK, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Poland
Is Artificial Intelligence the Future of Long-Term Care? Ageing and Sociotechnical Scripts of AI Companies
Barbara BARBOSA NEVES, Sydney Centre for Healthy Societies, The University of Sydney, Australia; Geoffrey MEAD, Australia; Alexandra SANDERS, Australia; Alex BROOM, Sydney Centre for Healthy Societies, The University of Sydney, Australia
Distributed Papers
Raising a "Natural" and Well Child within a Virtual Village: A Social Practice Analysis of #Crunchymomtok As an Online Parenting Community
Caitlan MCLEAN, Australia; Linda SLACK-SMITH, University of Western Australia, Australia
Direct-to-Consumer DNA Testing for Digital and Reproductive Justice: Lived Experience of Donor Conception
Romy WILSON GRAY, Australia; Giselle NEWTON, Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Australia
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