Advancing Inclusive Digital Well-Being Tools: How Neurodivergent Students Use Distraction Blockers

Paper Title

Advancing Inclusive Digital Well-Being Tools: How Neurodivergent Students Use Distraction Blockers

Publication Info

• Topic area: Neurodivergent students' use of distraction blockers in academic contexts
• Keywords: Neurodivergence, distraction blockers, ADHD, ASD, GAD, digital well-being, self-regulation, inclusive design, productivity tools, cognitive diversity, higher education

Background and Problem

• Problem / challenge: Existing distraction blockers are often designed with neuronormative assumptions, failing to accommodate the non-linear work rhythms and unique self-regulation needs of neurodivergent students.
• Significance: Neurodivergent students face challenges such as time blindness, sensory overstimulation, and executive dysfunction, which can hinder academic success. Inclusive tools could better support their productivity and well-being.
• Motivation and related work: Prior research on distraction blockers has focused on general populations, neglecting the specific needs of neurodivergent users. This study addresses this gap by exploring how neurodivergent students use and adapt these tools.

Solution

• Proposed approach: A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 27 neurodivergent post-secondary students to understand their experiences with distraction blockers.
• Novelty:
  1. Empirical insights into how neurodivergent students adapt distraction blockers for self-regulation and focus.
  2. Identification of tensions between neurodivergent work rhythms and rigid blocker designs.
  3. Exploration of how blockers can reinforce or mitigate self-stigma.
  4. Five design opportunities for creating more inclusive distraction blockers.
• Procedure and key techniques:
  • Conducted hour-long semi-structured interviews with participants who self-identified as having ADHD, ASD, GAD, or combinations thereof.
  • Used reflexive thematic analysis to identify patterns and themes in participants' experiences.
  • Explored participants' blocker usage, benefits, challenges, and integration into broader productivity strategies.

Results

• Concrete findings:
  • Participants used blockers to manage overstimulation, establish control, and regulate focus.
  • Blockers were integrated into personalized focus rituals but often clashed with non-linear work rhythms.
  • Blockers could exacerbate self-stigma by highlighting dependence and perceived deviations from neuronormative productivity standards.
• Advantage over baselines:
  • Highlights neurodivergent-specific needs, such as the importance of flexibility, sensory regulation, and emotional validation, which are overlooked in general-user studies.
• Experiments / evaluation:
  • Sample: 27 post-secondary students (ages 19–28) from Canada and the US, with diverse academic disciplines and neurodivergent conditions.
  • Tools: Common distraction blockers like Apple Screen Time, Forest, and Freedom.
  • Metrics: Qualitative themes related to blocker use, adaptation, and emotional impact.
• Limitations and future work:
  • Sample limited to North American students, potentially underrepresenting cultural differences.
  • Focused on academic contexts; future research could explore professional settings and broader neurodivergent populations.
  • Calls for participatory and co-design approaches to refine inclusive tool designs.

Summary

This study investigates how neurodivergent students use distraction blockers to navigate academic challenges, revealing both benefits and tensions. Participants adapted blockers to manage overstimulation and integrate them into personalized rituals, but rigid designs often conflicted with their non-linear work rhythms. The tools also reinforced self-stigma by highlighting dependence and deviations from neuronormative standards. The authors propose five design opportunities to create more inclusive blockers, emphasizing flexibility, emotional validation, and support for neurodivergent strengths. These findings contribute to the development of digital well-being tools that better accommodate cognitive diversity.