Mehri S. Agai

Mehri S. Agai is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Information and Media Studies, Faculty of Humanities, University of Bergen. Her research centers on digital disconnection, youth, and social inequality in the context of digital media use. She is a key contributor to the Digitox project, an interdisciplinary initiative funded by the Norwegian Research Council, which investigates digital detox and the societal implications of pervasive media.

Her research interests include digital disconnection, media studies, youth and digital media, social inequality, digital detox, qualitative research, identity formation, social media use, mental health and technology, phubbing, and digital wellbeing. She employs qualitative methodologies to explore how young people navigate digital spaces, manage screen time, and cultivate identity through disconnection. Her work critically examines whether digital disconnection is a privilege of the socially advantaged or a more widespread behavior.

The recent publications and media contributions reflect a strong trend toward understanding the emotional, social, and cultural dimensions of stepping back from digital media. Themes include digital minimalism, platform migration (e.g., to Mastodon), school policies on phones, phubbing, and the psychological impact of constant connectivity. Her academic work appears in journals like Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication and New Media & Society, and she is a frequent commentator in Norwegian media such as NRK, Aftenposten, and TV2.

Scientific Contributions:

• Active participant in the Digitox project (2019–2023), funded by the Norwegian Research Council.
• Published peer-reviewed articles on adolescent digital disconnection and identity.
• Presented at international conferences including ICA Preconference in Paris.
• Regular media contributor on topics of youth screen use and digital wellbeing.

She mentors through her research group and collaborative projects, though no formal advisees are listed. She is involved in public engagement and knowledge dissemination, contributing to both academic and public understanding of digital media challenges. She is affiliated with the Bergen Media Use Research Group, which supports interdisciplinary research on media practices.