Applications of Mindfulness in Media and Communication Studies

In recent years, mindfulness has become an increasingly relevant topic in various fields, including psychology, neuroscience, and education. Its application extends beyond traditional boundaries, influencing practices in organizational behavior, leadership, and media and communication studies. The latter field, in particular, is experiencing a paradigm shift as researchers and practitioners recognize the potential of mindfulness to address challenges and harness opportunities within media environments.

This Research Topic aims to explore the multifaceted applications of mindfulness in media and communication studies, emphasizing its role in enhancing media literacy, promoting ethical communication practices, and improving well-being among media professionals and consumers alike. The goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of how mindfulness can be integrated into media and communication research to foster healthier, more ethical, and more productive communication landscapes.

Key themes to be explored include:
• Mindfulness and Media Literacy: Examining how mindfulness practices can enhance critical thinking skills, enabling individuals to better navigate and interpret media content in an increasingly complex information environment.
• Mindfulness and Ethical Communication: Investigating how mindfulness can contribute to ethical decision-making in media production, distribution, and consumption, addressing issues such as misinformation, polarization, and online aggression.
• Mindfulness in Media Workplaces: Assessing the impact of mindfulness on the well-being and productivity of media professionals, including journalists, content creators, and communication strategists.
• Mindfulness in Media Consumption: Exploring how mindfulness can influence media consumption behaviors, potentially reducing harmful patterns and fostering more intentional and conscious media engagement.
• Technological Advances and Mindfulness Applications: Analyzing the intersection of digital media technologies and mindfulness, including the development and evaluation of mindfulness apps and tools for enhancing media engagement.
• Mindfulness and Digital Detoxification: Understanding the role of mindfulness in promoting healthier relationships with digital devices, potentially mitigating symptoms of digital addiction and encouraging balanced screen time.
• Mindfulness in Digital Learning: Exploring the application of mindfulness in enhancing digital learning experiences, improving attention, retention, and overall engagement in virtual education environments.
• Mindfulness-Based Media Interventions: Assessing the effectiveness of media-based interventions designed to foster mindfulness and reduce stress, anxiety, and burnout among media consumers and professionals.
• Mindfulness and Media Representation: Investigating the influence of mindfulness on media representation, including how mindful practices might shape portrayals of different social groups and issues in a more balanced and empathetic manner.
• Mindfulness and Social Media Interaction: Examining the impact of mindfulness on social media use, including its potential to reduce negative interactions, promote positive engagement, and mitigate the impact of social comparison.
• Short-term monasticism and communication of mindfulness: Exploring how participants cope with the pressures and anxieties of modern life through mindfulness practices such as meditation and chanting during short-term monasticism, and how they share their experiences and insights through social media after completing the short-term monasticism.


We invite researchers, practitioners, and thought leaders to contribute empirical studies, theoretical articles, case studies, and reviews that illuminate the dynamic relationship between mindfulness and media and communication studies. This collection aims to build a body of knowledge that informs and inspires future research, practice, and policy in this emerging interdisciplinary field.