Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems
Special issue call for papers:
The Dark Side of Information Systems.
The Role of the IT Artefact
Guest Editors
Stephen McCarthy
Department of Business Information Systems, University College Cork, Ireland.
Peter André Busch
Department of Information Systems, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway.
Christy M. K. Cheung
Department of Finance and Decision Sciences, School of Business, Hong Kong
Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong.
Abstract
Digital technologies are often developed and marketed under the premise that their use is positive -
leading to innovation, development, and value creation (Turel et al., 2011). However, their large-scale
diffusion in our workplaces and private space has also raised awareness of their risks and potential
serious consequences across individual, organisational, and societal levels (Pirkkalainen and Salo,
2016). The versatility of digital technologies, their internet connectivity, and diverse suite of
applications can create multiple pathways to problematic outcomes such as emotional health (e.g.,
anxiety, technostress), physical health (e.g., hypertension, poor sleep quality), data injustice (e.g.,
surveillance capitalism), and performance impacts (e.g., social, work) (Cinnamon et al., 2017;
McCarthy et al., 2023; Shi et al., 2023; Wang and Lee, 2020). The purpose of this special issue is to
provide a venue for IS researchers to advance our understanding of how IT artefacts contribute towards
adverse aspects of technology use.
While the 'dark sides’ of technology continue to garner attention by information systems (IS)
scholars, we believe that there is a need for increased scholarly attention toward theorising the IT
artefact in problematic technology use, and how individuals, organisations, and society can prevent and
respond to undesirable technology behaviour. The IT artefact is a core part of the information systems
discipline (Chatterjee et al., 2020). However, conceptualisations of materiality in existing studies on
dark side phenomena are often unclear. We invite studies that focus on design and action but also
research papers (e.g., behavioural and conceptual research) that enable an improved understanding of
the IT artefacts: the way they influence negative effects and/or help resolving issues to combat the dark
side. Moreover, studies are often cross-sectional, conducted with students as subjects, and using self-
reported data (e.g., Busch & McCarthy, 2021). We recommend longitudinal studies using a variety of