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

Abstract

Purpose

Excessive digital consumption can lead to a blurring of boundaries between work and leisure. This paper aims to investigate the influence of digital consumption on the work ethic among Muslims, integrating demographic variables 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 assess the relationships between their engagement with digital media and their work-related values. Multiple linear regression models are used to analyze the effects of various digital platforms, including mobile phones, social media and internet usage, on the perceived importance of 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 persists in all models on success inclusion of control variables, which confirms the robustness of the relationship. However, this relationship varies among demographic groups, with males and singles being more susceptible to the negative impacts compared to females and married individuals.

Originality/value

The study contributes to understanding how digital consumption influences traditional work values and offers recommendations for balancing digital consumption to maintain a robust work ethic in modern digital societies.

Citation

Zafar, M.B., Abu-Hussin, M.F. and Sulaiman, A.A. (2025), "Digital distractions and work-leisure balance: excessive information through digital consumption and its impact on work ethic among Muslims", International Journal of Ethics and Systems, Vol. 41 No. 1, pp. 195-212. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOES-08-2024-0244