About this Research Topic
'Tech for good' is a phrase used by organizations and governments across the world to address the need for businesses to foster social and environmental innovation for the greater good. Following the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, whose aim is to promote the development of countries and individuals, this Research Topic seeks to foster research on how information and communication technology innovation can sustainably provide for social and individual well-being. Given their role in investigating the impact of technology on people's lives and society, academic researchers, especially those in business disciplines, hold the responsibility to address such an important question. While technology is an old concept, both in the academic and business literature, its development has sped up significantly since the early 2000s (Yadav et Varadarajan, 2005; Yadav et al., 2013; Yadav and Pavlou, 2020), and overall accelerated to such an extent as to raise concerns about individuals' freedom and dignity (Michael et al., 2019). Against this background, the focus of the Research Topic lies on the technologies enabling marketers and advertisers to provide customers with more immersive and interactive experiences in communication contexts, with a view to exploring the ways such technologies might be used for the good of society and individuals.
The development of extended reality (e.g., virtual reality, augmented reality, and the Metaverse) (Milgram et al., 1995; Rauschnabel et al., 2018; Hui-Wen Chuah, 2019) and sensory enabling technologies (e.g., audio and haptic) (Kim and Forsythe, 2008; Jin, 2011; Racat et al., 2021) has led to the emergence of increasingly immersive and interactive customer experiences. These technologies have contributed to improved customer journeys and marketing outcomes by providing a more realistic, interactive, and enjoyable digital experience (Slater and Wilbur; 1997; Plotkina et al., 2021). As a consequence, consumers feel more engaged with brands and have an increased intention to purchase and pay (Pagani et al., 2019; Racat et Plotkina, 2023). Higher engagement with brands is not the only benefit of such technologies, however: importantly, a richer and more interactive digital experience has also given rise to better education and higher engagement with social causes (Nuñez Macias et al., 2023); both of which marketing and advertising practices and theory should contribute.
While still in development, and despite budget and distribution challenges, augmented reality is increasingly used for social activism (Schwarek, 2018; Silva et al., 2019), highlighting gender under-representation, uncovering attempts of commercial and political deception, and expanding our knowledge of less well-known historical and cultural elements. Indeed, the added digital layer allows for the creation of storytelling and for the uncovering of hidden histories and perspectives. Augmented social and physical presence and media richness may also boost social capital and, consequently, contribute to individual well-being and socially compliant or community-oriented behavior. This is especially important at a time of pandemic, war tensions, and economic crises. Nonetheless, few studies outside medical and educational contexts have focused on the potential applications of extended reality and sensory technology for non-commercial purposes.
The impact of such technologies on individual well-being deserves further investigation, too. On the one hand, for example, researchers and lay people increasingly question the effects of augmented reality filters on self-perception and individual well-being, some even calling for banning them or for exposing their use. On the other hand, augmented reality technologies may be able to help individuals with autism and spectrum disorder to interpret social cues. The social inclusivity and ethical implications of immersive technologies deserve further consideration as well. The accessibility of extended reality and sensory technology, for example, has been heavily overlooked, both in the literature and in practice. Future studies should also focus on vulnerable users and further our understanding of the ways immersive technology might impact different individuals in different ways.
We encourage studies from communication, marketing, education, and psychology that may help to uncover the contributions of immersive and interactive technologies to social and individual well-being. We welcome the submission of both theoretical and empirical studies, and are open to any methodology. Please note that as concerns quantitative research, the significance of results is not a mandatory requirement. The submission of non-significant results is welcome, provided that it includes a theoretically-based explanation for why the hypothesis may not be supported by the results, and that the research design and methodology are fully described and consistent with theory development. We strongly encourage contributors to provide the datasets and qualitative materials used to draw their findings.
Specific topics to be addressed include, but are not limited to, the following:
• the ethical issues associated with immersive and interactive customer experiences in social communication
• ethical issues, privacy concerns, and data protection in the context of immersive social communication
• new forms of communication in social communication (e.g., the Metaverse, augmented reality, and virtual reality)
• digital promotion, online advertisement, and data-driven marketing communication in the Industry 4.0 era
• the combination of sustainability and communication in the digital landscape with the aim of fostering well-being
• digital customer journeys and sensory enabling technologies
• the management of the tensions and paradoxes associated with the Sustainable Development Goals through the use of new forms of social communication
• the leveraging of sensory-enabling technologies to foster well-being in communication.
The development of extended reality (e.g., virtual reality, augmented reality, and the Metaverse) (Milgram et al., 1995; Rauschnabel et al., 2018; Hui-Wen Chuah, 2019) and sensory enabling technologies (e.g., audio and haptic) (Kim and Forsythe, 2008; Jin, 2011; Racat et al., 2021) has led to the emergence of increasingly immersive and interactive customer experiences. These technologies have contributed to improved customer journeys and marketing outcomes by providing a more realistic, interactive, and enjoyable digital experience (Slater and Wilbur; 1997; Plotkina et al., 2021). As a consequence, consumers feel more engaged with brands and have an increased intention to purchase and pay (Pagani et al., 2019; Racat et Plotkina, 2023). Higher engagement with brands is not the only benefit of such technologies, however: importantly, a richer and more interactive digital experience has also given rise to better education and higher engagement with social causes (Nuñez Macias et al., 2023); both of which marketing and advertising practices and theory should contribute.
While still in development, and despite budget and distribution challenges, augmented reality is increasingly used for social activism (Schwarek, 2018; Silva et al., 2019), highlighting gender under-representation, uncovering attempts of commercial and political deception, and expanding our knowledge of less well-known historical and cultural elements. Indeed, the added digital layer allows for the creation of storytelling and for the uncovering of hidden histories and perspectives. Augmented social and physical presence and media richness may also boost social capital and, consequently, contribute to individual well-being and socially compliant or community-oriented behavior. This is especially important at a time of pandemic, war tensions, and economic crises. Nonetheless, few studies outside medical and educational contexts have focused on the potential applications of extended reality and sensory technology for non-commercial purposes.
The impact of such technologies on individual well-being deserves further investigation, too. On the one hand, for example, researchers and lay people increasingly question the effects of augmented reality filters on self-perception and individual well-being, some even calling for banning them or for exposing their use. On the other hand, augmented reality technologies may be able to help individuals with autism and spectrum disorder to interpret social cues. The social inclusivity and ethical implications of immersive technologies deserve further consideration as well. The accessibility of extended reality and sensory technology, for example, has been heavily overlooked, both in the literature and in practice. Future studies should also focus on vulnerable users and further our understanding of the ways immersive technology might impact different individuals in different ways.
We encourage studies from communication, marketing, education, and psychology that may help to uncover the contributions of immersive and interactive technologies to social and individual well-being. We welcome the submission of both theoretical and empirical studies, and are open to any methodology. Please note that as concerns quantitative research, the significance of results is not a mandatory requirement. The submission of non-significant results is welcome, provided that it includes a theoretically-based explanation for why the hypothesis may not be supported by the results, and that the research design and methodology are fully described and consistent with theory development. We strongly encourage contributors to provide the datasets and qualitative materials used to draw their findings.
Specific topics to be addressed include, but are not limited to, the following:
• the ethical issues associated with immersive and interactive customer experiences in social communication
• ethical issues, privacy concerns, and data protection in the context of immersive social communication
• new forms of communication in social communication (e.g., the Metaverse, augmented reality, and virtual reality)
• digital promotion, online advertisement, and data-driven marketing communication in the Industry 4.0 era
• the combination of sustainability and communication in the digital landscape with the aim of fostering well-being
• digital customer journeys and sensory enabling technologies
• the management of the tensions and paradoxes associated with the Sustainable Development Goals through the use of new forms of social communication
• the leveraging of sensory-enabling technologies to foster well-being in communication.
Keywords: tech, immersive technologies, social wellbeing, environmental innovation, marketing, advertising, immersive experiences
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
