Digital divine during crises: Spirituality-related technology use as a coping mechanism in India

Background: The use of technology during crises presents a paradox. While it heightens anxiety through information overload and misinformation, it simultaneously serves as a primary avenue for spiritual solace. Meanwhile, research suggests that individuals with low levels of spiritual well-being are more susceptible to technology addiction. This study draws on the transactional model of stress and coping and the cybernetic theory of stress to investigate the following research question: How does the use of technology during a crisis—both for information search and spirituality—relate to users’ ability to (i) cope with the crisis, (ii) build post-crisis resilience, and (iii) address problematic technology use? The use of technology for spirituality during crises is conceptualized here as a self-selected, technology-mediated positive psychology intervention. Methods: An online survey was conducted in India (N=443) during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The analysis involved partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Results: During the pandemic, using technology to obtain COVID-19-related information was a positive predictor of anxiety, which in turn was negatively related to technology use for spirituality. Nonetheless, technology use for spirituality was positively related to the sense of coping, which was negatively related to problematic technology use. This sense of coping was also positively related to future life optimism, a key indicator of post-crisis resilience. Conclusions: The study advances the understanding of how technology use during a crisis can translate into long-term resilience. Theoretically, it identifies a boundary condition for the cybernetic theory of stress, where high anxiety may inhibit the initiation of digital coping. Practically, the study highlights the role of techno-spirituality as an indigenous digital public infrastructure for well-being in the Asia-Pacific. While the field of positive psychology is well-established, this study raises the visibility of the nascent field of positive technology within the literature on human-technology interaction and information systems.