The Open University ’ s repository of research publications and other research outputs Methods for monitoring work-life balance in a digital world Conference Item

Digital technologies – smart phones, email, social networking, etc. – are fundamentally changing our relationship with work. Digital technologies enable us to be always connected. However, the question remains as to how digital technologies affect our work-life balance. In this position paper, we report on some methods we are using to study how to continuously monitor and observe work-life balance, and discuss the advantages/disadvantages of these methods. Work-life balance is a relatively under-explored area in the quantified self literature; this paper therefore contributes to broader discussions on quantified self but from a domain that has received little attention to date.