Relaxing or imposing constraints? Exploring the associations between digitalization and space-time flexibilities in Qinghe, Beijing

While information and communications technology (ICT)-based multitasking has become a routine feature of daily activity organization, its implications for space-time constraints remain insufficiently understood. This study develops ICT-based multitasking by distinguishing foreground and background ICT use and examines how different forms of ICT use are associated with perceived temporal and spatial flexibility at the activity and daily levels. The analysis draws on a 2-day combined daily activity diary and internet activity diary survey conducted in 2021 in Qinghe, Beijing. In particular, records from both diaries are integrated to distinguish background and foreground ICT use. The associations of foreground and background ICT use with space-time flexibility are estimated by multilevel ordered logistic regression at the activity level and ordinary least squares regression with standard errors clustered at the daily level. Analyses are conducted for light and heavy ICT users separately because they are considered to have different ICT use patterns. Results demonstrate that foreground and background ICT use are associated with perceived flexibility in contrasting ways across analytical scales and user groups. At the activity level, both forms of ICT use are associated with higher perceived temporal and spatial flexibility, particularly among light ICT users. At the daily level, more frequent foreground ICT use is associated with higher average flexibility, whereas frequent background ICT use among heavy ICT users is associated with lower perceived temporal flexibility. These findings highlight the importance of distinguishing foreground and background ICT use when assessing how digitalization relates to activity-travel behavior in the mobile ICT era.