Won’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough? Determinants of Disengaging From Mobile Media Apps in Daily Life

While permanent connectivity has made media use ubiquitous and apps have become engagement optimized, little research has focused on the termination of (mobile) media sessions. This study addresses this shortcoming by exploring how internal, environmental, and media context cues situationally prompt users to stop using an app. In an event-based experience sampling study, 118 participants reported on disengagement from TikTok or Instagram (T = 1,893 sessions). We identified five disengagement types through multilevel latent class analysis: non-self-determined disengagement, self-determined disengagement, disengagement through priority shifts, temporary disengagement, and “mindless” disengagement. Across the types, competing activities, goal achievement, and push notifications emerged as the most prevalent cues and disengagement mostly occurred as an effortless solution to activity conflicts. In one type, it was accompanied by negative emotions. This typology contributes to a nuanced understanding of disengagement, suggesting that while worrisome forms exist, they do not dominate disengagement in day-to-day life.