Digital literacy advocate Recep Zerk releases the Digital Wellbeing Index, a five-dimension framework that goes beyond screen time.
(PRUnderground) May 18th, 2026
Independent researcher and digital literacy advocate Recep Zerk has published the Digital Wellbeing Index (DWI), a five-dimension framework designed to measure how digital environments affect human health, identity, and personal agency.
The report challenges the dominant focus on screen time as the primary indicator of digital health. Screen time measures duration but captures none of the variation that matters: whether use is passive or active, whether content choices are self-directed or algorithmically determined, and whether an individual’s sense of self remains coherent across online and offline contexts.
The Digital Wellbeing Index addresses this gap by proposing five measurable dimensions. Screen Quality assesses the ratio of passive to intentional digital engagement. Algorithmic Dependency measures the degree to which individuals can navigate digital environments without algorithmic guidance. Identity Coherence evaluates the alignment between a person’s online self-presentation and offline self-perception. Social Comparison Load tracks the frequency and intensity of evaluative comparisons triggered by others’ content. Digital Boundaries measures the capacity to disconnect from digital environments without distress.
“Screen time was never the right metric,” said Zerk. “Two people can spend the same number of hours online and have completely different experiences. One is in control. The other isn’t. The Digital Wellbeing Index is an attempt to measure what actually matters.”
The framework draws on peer-reviewed research from JAMA Pediatrics, JAMA Psychiatry, Pew Research Center, and the U.S. Surgeon General’s 2023 advisory on youth mental health. The full report is available open-access on Zenodo. An interactive self-assessment tool based on the framework is available at recepzerk.github.io.
The Digital Wellbeing Index is the third report in an independent research series. Previous reports include Digital Identity Drift, which examined how sustained online self-presentation reshapes real-life identity, and The Algorithmic Cage, which documented how recommendation systems constrain human agency and reduce exposure to new ideas.
About Digital L.A
Recep Zerk is an independent researcher and Digital Literacy Advocate focused on the intersection of algorithmic systems, online identity, and human agency. He is the author of three independent research reports: Digital Identity Drift, The Algorithmic Cage, and the Digital Wellbeing Index. His research is published through open-access platforms and freely available to the public. More information is available at recepzerk.com.
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