Digital temporality – The responsibility of Interaction Design in digital alienation

Authors

  • Annapaola Vacanti ‘Iuav’ University of Venezia (Italy)
  • Michele De Chirico ‘Iuav’ University of Venezia (Italy)
  • Davide Crippa ‘Iuav’ University of Venezia (Italy)
  • Raffaella Fagnoni ‘Iuav’ University of Venezia (Italy)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.69143/2464-9309/17232025

Keywords:

interaction design, digital well-being, temporality, brain decay, digital alienation

Abstract

The temporality of digital ecosystems has redefined the way we perceive and organise time, favouring efficiency and productivity. Designed for constant accessibility, digital technologies disrupt natural human rhythms, creating an uninhabitable sense of time shaped by ‘temporal techno-performances’, frenzied gestures and accelerated rhythms that significantly affect psychological well-being. This disruption has led to the emergence of ‘digital well-being’ as a critical aspect of mental health’. Interaction Design, as an interpreter of the relationship between humans and digital, has a responsibility to address these dynamics, rethinking design as an ethical and time-conscious practice. This paper proposes a critical design and social sciences literature review to assess how Interaction Design practices influence or can mitigate temporal alienation.

 

Article info

Received: 15/03/2025; Revised: 24/04/2025; Accepted: 03/05/2025

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Author Biographies

Annapaola Vacanti, ‘Iuav’ University of Venezia (Italy)

PhD, she is a Researcher. Her research focuses on human-technology interaction, exploring the intersection between human factors, technological development and related social and ecological impacts.
E-mail: avacanti@iuav.it

Michele De Chirico, ‘Iuav’ University of Venezia (Italy)

PhD, he is a Research Fellow. His research investigates material design, focusing on sustainable management of production waste and materials as contextual actors and creators of cultural meaning.
E-mail: mdechirico@iuav.it

Davide Crippa, ‘Iuav’ University of Venezia (Italy)

Architect and PhD, he is an Associate Professor. He conducts research mainly in the field of design and digital manufacturing with a focus on sustainability and the circular economy, coordinating national and international projects on waste recycling.
E-mail: dcrippa@iuav.it

Raffaella Fagnoni, ‘Iuav’ University of Venezia (Italy)

She is a Full Professor of Design and the Coordinator of the Doctorate Programme in Design Sciences. She conducts research and experiments on sustainable transition, territorial circular innovation, design for the territory and local cultural heritage, social innovation, recycling and reuse of waste and waste materials, and second-generation and bio-based materials.
E-mail: rfagnoni@iuav.it

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An example of digital alienation (credit: L. Morvillo, 2021). AGATHÓN 17 | 2025

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Published

30-06-2025

How to Cite

Vacanti, A., De Chirico, M., Crippa, D. and Fagnoni, R. (2025) “Digital temporality – The responsibility of Interaction Design in digital alienation”, AGATHÓN | International Journal of Architecture, Art and Design, 17, pp. 336–347. doi: 10.69143/2464-9309/17232025.