Distorted Values, Disturbed Minds? Who Are We Becoming Online? Digital Disorientation and the Quest for Inner Peace
Keywords:
Digital and ethical disorientation, peace of mind, social media and mental health, psychological resilience, generational perspectives
Abstract
In today’s hyper-digital environment, peace can no longer be reduced to the absence of physical conflict–it must also include the preservation of mental clarity, ethical orientation, and emotional stability. The study investigates the phenomenon of digital disorientation in Georgia, where rapid digitization, globalized media flows, and limited media literacy intersect to challenge individuals’ psychological resilience and moral coherence. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach that integrates 180 survey responses and 12 in-depth interviews, the study employs fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fs/QCA) to identify the configurations of digital behavior, emotional stress, and coping strategies that contribute to or protect from the erosion of peace of mind across generations. Findings reveal that high screen time, emotional overwhelm, and value confusion, particularly when combined with weak coping mechanisms, are consistently associated with reduced psychological stability. In contrast, the presence of deliberate coping strategies and a sense of ethical clarity mitigates digital overload, even among high-use individuals. Qualitative insights further highlight generational contrasts in media interpretation, emotional response, and moral negotiation. The research emphasizes the need to reconceptualize peacebuilding for the digital age–repositioning ethical clarity and psychological resilience as essential pillars of 21st-century peacebuilding.
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References
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29. Tomé, V., Sikharulidze, M., Lobzhanidze, S., & Urchukhishvili, G. (2024). Digital Citizenship Education: Perceptions on the concept, self-reported competences and practices of Georgian school society. Journal of Media Literacy Education, 16(2), 71-84. https://doi.org/10.23860/JMLE-2024-16-2-6
30. Tsipuria, B. (2016). Georgia in the Soviet / post-Soviet / postmodern context. Ilia State University Press.
31. Turkle, S. (2011). Alone together: Why we expect more from technology and less from each other. Basic Books/Hachette Book Group.
32. Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2010). The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement. Atria Books.
33. Vardanyan, L., Hamuľák, O., & Kocharyan, H. (2024). Fragmented identities: Legal challenges of digital identity, integrity, and informational self-determination. European Studies: The Review of European Law, Economics and Politics, 11(1), 105–121. https://doi.org/10.2478/eustu-2024-0005
34. Wang, T., & Deng, X. (2022). User characteristics, social media use, and fatigue during the coronavirus pandemic: A stressor–strain–outcome framework. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 7, 100218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2022.100218
35. Wardle, C., & Derakhshan, H. (2017). Information disorder: Toward an interdisciplinary framework for research and policymaking. Council of Europe. https://rm.coe.int/information-disorder-report-version-august-2018/16808c9c77
2. Badzaghua, M. (2018). Profesiuli etik'is sapudzvlebi [Foundations of professional ethics]. Tbilisi.
3. Bauman, Z. (2000). Liquid Modernity. Polity Press.
4. Cotten, S. R., Ford, G., Ford, S., & Hale, T. M. (2014). Internet use and depression among retired older adults in the United States: a longitudinal analysis. The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, 69(5), 763–771. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbu018
5. Council of Europe. (2024). Development and promotion of education on digital citizenship: Recommendation CM/Rec(2019)10 (1st Georgian ed.). European Council. (Approved by the Committee of Ministers on November 21, 2020).
6. Ess, C. (2020). Digital media ethics (3rd ed.). Polity Press.
7. Galtung, J. (1996). Peace by peaceful means: Peace and conflict, development and civilization. SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446221631
8. Han, B. C. (2017). Psychopolitics: Neoliberalism and new technologies of power. Verso.
9. Hanh, T. N. (1992). Peace is every step: The path of mindfulness in everyday life. Bantam Books.
10. Kane, H., Lewis, M. A., Williams, P. A., & Kahwati, L. C. (2014). Using qualitative comparative analysis to understand and quantify translation and implementation. Translational behavioral medicine, 4(2), 201–208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13142-014-0251-6
11. Keles, B., McCrae, N., & Grealish, A. (2019). A systematic review: the influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 25(1), 79–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1590851
12. Khazhomia, S. (2025). Using Trolls and Bots in Social Media: Propagandistic Influence on Public Opinion: A Literature Review. European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 21(39), 103. https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2025.v21n39p103
13. Livingstone, S., Haddon, L., Görzig, A., & Ólafsson, K. (2011). Risks and safety on the internet: The perspective of European children. EU Kids Online, London School of Economics and Political Science. http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/33731/
14. Lobzhanidze, S., Sikharulidze, M., & Urchukhishvili, G. (2022). Digital citizenship in general education schools: A guide. National Center for Teacher Professional Development. Tbilisi. https://www.etaloni.ge/files_inner/4431cifrulimoqalaqeoba.pdf
15. Meinhardt, L.-M., Belz, J.-H., & Rukzio, E. (2023). Balancing the digital and the physical: Push & pull factors for digital well-being. arXiv preprint arXiv:2305.12513. https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.12513
16. Misangyi, V. F., Greckhamer, T., Furnari, S., Fiss, P. C., Crilly, D., & Aguilera, R. (2016). Embracing Causal Complexity: The Emergence of a Neo-Configurational Perspective. Journal of Management, 43(1), 255-282. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206316679252 (Original work published 2017)
17. Montag, C., Sindermann, C., & Baumeister, H. (2020). Digital phenotyping in psychological and medical sciences: a reflection about necessary prerequisites to reduce harm and increase benefits. Current opinion in psychology, 36, 19–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.03.013
18. Nimrod, G. (2016). Older audiences in the digital media environment. Information, Communication & Society, 20(2), 233–249. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2016.1164740
19. Paas, F., Renkl, A., & Sweller, J. (2003). Cognitive load theory and instructional design: Recent developments. Educational Psychologist, 38(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15326985EP3801_1
20. Ragin, C. C. (2008). Redesigning Social Inquiry: Fuzzy Sets and Beyond. University of Chicago Press.
21. Ramsbotham, O., Woodhouse, T., & Miall, H. (2011). Contemporary conflict resolution (3rd ed.). Polity Press.
22. Richmond, O. P. (2023). Peace: A very short introduction (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
23. Rinpoche, S. (1994). The Tibetan book of living and dying. HarperSanFrancisco.
24. Rosen, L. D., Whaling, K., Carrier, L. M., Cheever, N. A., & Rokkum, J. (2013). The Media and Technology Usage and Attitudes Scale: An empirical investigation. Computers in human behavior, 29(6), 2501–2511. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.06.006
25. Schneider, C. Q., & Wagemann, C. (2012). Set-theoretic methods for the social sciences: A guide to qualitative comparative analysis. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139004244
26. Smith, K. A., et al. (2025). Engagement and attrition in digital mental health: Current challenges and potential solutions. npj Digital Medicine, 8, Article 398. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-025-01778-w
27. Soh, S. (2024). Identity development in the digital context. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 18(7), e12940. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12940
28. Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive Science, 12(2), 257–285. https://doi.org/10.1016/0364-0213(88)90023-7
29. Tomé, V., Sikharulidze, M., Lobzhanidze, S., & Urchukhishvili, G. (2024). Digital Citizenship Education: Perceptions on the concept, self-reported competences and practices of Georgian school society. Journal of Media Literacy Education, 16(2), 71-84. https://doi.org/10.23860/JMLE-2024-16-2-6
30. Tsipuria, B. (2016). Georgia in the Soviet / post-Soviet / postmodern context. Ilia State University Press.
31. Turkle, S. (2011). Alone together: Why we expect more from technology and less from each other. Basic Books/Hachette Book Group.
32. Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2010). The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement. Atria Books.
33. Vardanyan, L., Hamuľák, O., & Kocharyan, H. (2024). Fragmented identities: Legal challenges of digital identity, integrity, and informational self-determination. European Studies: The Review of European Law, Economics and Politics, 11(1), 105–121. https://doi.org/10.2478/eustu-2024-0005
34. Wang, T., & Deng, X. (2022). User characteristics, social media use, and fatigue during the coronavirus pandemic: A stressor–strain–outcome framework. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 7, 100218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2022.100218
35. Wardle, C., & Derakhshan, H. (2017). Information disorder: Toward an interdisciplinary framework for research and policymaking. Council of Europe. https://rm.coe.int/information-disorder-report-version-august-2018/16808c9c77
Published
2026-01-10
How to Cite
Kadagidze, L. (2026). Distorted Values, Disturbed Minds? Who Are We Becoming Online? Digital Disorientation and the Quest for Inner Peace. European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 22(37), 99. https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2026.v22n37p99
Section
Special Editions
Copyright (c) 2026 Lamara Kadagidze
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
