Spaces of digital disconnection: A go-along study of dining areas, libraries, and movie theaters

This study explores how media users create and experience spaces of digital disconnection in their daily lives. Guided by spatial sociological theory and using the go-along method—where researchers accompany participants in real-world settings—we investigate three prototypical environments in which individuals often disconnect from digital devices: dining areas, libraries, and movie theaters. In line with the theoretical framework, we analyze how material elements, spatial order, interaction patterns, and traces of past use shape and reflect media practices within each site. Our analysis, based on 18 go-alongs, demonstrates how distinct spatial arrangements and social practices shape digital disconnection. Three distinct disconnection practices emerge, each characterized by its material boundedness and behavioral discreteness: (i) delineated and fluid (dining areas), (ii) delineated and categorical (movie theaters), and (iii) blurred and episodic (libraries). These findings contribute to the existing research on disconnection by highlighting the importance of spatial configurations in digital disconnection practices.