Digital distractions and work-leisure balance: excessive information through digital consumption and its impact on work ethic among Muslims

• Date: 18 December 2024
• Pages: 195-212
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOES-08-2024-0244
• Published date: 18 December 2024
• Subject Matter: Economics,Social economics
• Author: Muhammad Bilal Zafar,Mohd Fauzi Abu-Hussin,Ahmad Azam Sulaiman

Digital distractions and work-leisure

balance: excessive information

through digital consumption and its

impact on work ethic among Muslims

Muhammad Bilal Zafar

Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor,

Malaysia and School of Islamic Economics, Banking and Finance,

Minhaj University Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan

Mohd Fauzi Abu-Hussin

Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia,

Johor,Malaysia, and

Ahmad Azam Sulaiman

Department of Shariah and Economics, University of Malaya,

Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia

Abstract

Purpose –Excessive digitalconsumption can lead to a blurring of boundariesbetween work and leisure. This

paper aims to investigate the inf‌luenceof digital consumption on the work ethic among Muslims, integrating

demographicvariables like gender and marital status into the analysis.

Design/methodology/approach –Using data from the 7th wave of the World Values Survey, this study

focuses on a subset of 12,979 employed Muslims to assessthe relationships between their engagement with

digital mediaand their work-related values. Multiple linear regressionmodels are used to analyze the effects of

various digital platforms, including mobile phones, social media and internet usage, on the perceived

importanceof work and related ethic principles.

Findings –The f‌indings indicate a signif‌icant negative impact of over digital consumption on work

ethic, suggesting that increased digital engagement and tech-overload may undermine traditional work

values. The relationship persistsin all models on success inclusion of control variables, which conf‌irms

the robustness of the relationship. However, this relationship varies among demographi c groups, with

males and singles being more susceptible to the negative impacts compared to females and married

individuals.

Originality/value –The study contributes to understandinghow digital consumption inf‌luences traditional

work values and offersrecommendations for balancing digital consumptionto maintain a robust work ethic in

modern digitalsocieties.

Keywords Digital consumption, Tech-overload, Digital technology,Digital information, Work ethic,

Muslims, Islamic work ethic

Paper type Research paper

This research was supported by the Research Management Center, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

under PDRU grant (Q.J130000.21A2.07E49) and UTM Fundamental Research Grant

(Q.J130000.3853.22H65).

International

Journal of Ethics

and Systems

195

Received16 August 2024

Revised23 O ctober 2024

Accepted4 December 2024

InternationalJournal of Ethics and

Systems

Vol.41 No. 1, 2025

pp. 195-212

© Emerald Publishing Limited

2514-9369

DOI 10.1108/IJOES-08-2024-0244

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:

https://www.emerald.com/insight/2514-9369.htm

1. Introduction

Digital technologies are reshaping communication, entertainment, education, commercial

activity and community-based services, illustrating their ubiquity in everyday life

(Dezuanni et al.,2018;Kanungo et al.,2022). Duri ng the COVID-19 lockdowns, digital

media usage increased signif‌icantly, with off‌ices and academic institutions operating from

home (Frid et al.,2024). Even senior citizens, non-working homemakers and kids spent

more time on social media (Subudhi, 2021). The preference for information consumption

devices has shifted, with smartphones emerging as the dominant choice for 85% of

respondents, highlighting a departure from traditional media sources like television and

newspapers (AL-Zoubi, 2024). Digital consumption refers to engaging with digital media

for various activities, such as social media, mobile apps, digital retailing and streaming

services (AL-Zoubi, 2024;Belk and Llamas, 2013) for the purpose of information, work

or leisure (Musteaţă-Pavel et al.,2022). The contemporary media ecosystem is

characterized by factors such as information overload, speed of online interaction,

attention as currency, multiplicity of screens and digital socialization, emphasizing the

need for a “digital diet”to manage online consumption effectively (Serrano-Puche,

2017a, 2017b).

Excessive digital technology use has been associated with heightened attention-def‌icit

symptoms, impaired emotional and social intelligence and technology addiction, which can

impact emotional well-being and mental health (Lissak, 2018;Small et al., 2020). Digital

work intensif‌ication,combined with low control over work rhythms and social support, leads

to higher levels of techno-stressand cyberbullying among workers as well (Castiblanque and

Palomares, 2020). It has been observed that, higher levels of digital work intensif‌ication are

associated with increased jobdissatisfaction (Busse et al.,2022). However, it is important to

note that not all types of digital media use have adverse consequences on mental health, and

positive online experiences can also mitigate feelings of loneliness and stress (Marciano

et al., 2022).

Digital engagement and consumption, encompassing the widespread use of phones,

internet and social media, present a paradoxical inf‌luence on modern work environments,

directly impacting job satisfaction, mental health and overall work ability as evidenced by

recent studies (Borle et al.,2021;Castiblanque and Palomares, 2020;Sandri et al.,2022).

While these tools offer substantial benef‌its such as enhanced connectivity and access to

information, they also posesignif‌icant risks by facilitating distractions and potential declines

in productivity. This dual nature forms a complex landscape where the implications of

digitalization on work ethic. Work ethic is a set of values encompassing hard work,

commitment to tasksand prioritization of work (Zafar and Abu-Hussin, 2024a).

In the context of Muslim work ethic, which are deeply intertwined with religious

teachings that emphasize diligence, commitment to work and viewing labor as a social

obligation (Ali,1988, 1992), the pervasive nature of digital tools introduces specif‌ic

challenges. Islam discourages idleness and promotes a view of work as an ac t offa ith and

societal contribution, thus raising critical questions about the effects of excessive digital

consumption. Does the digital age facilitate a better adherence to these principles

through increased opportunities for learning and eff‌iciency, or does it tempt individuals

away from these ideals, encouraging procrastination and distraction? This paper aims to

explore how digital engagement, particularly the overuse of digital media, impacts the

religiously motivated work ethic of Muslims, assessing whether these tools more often

support or undermine the deep-seated values that drive their professional and personal

conduct.

IJOES

41,1

196