screentobody

Screentobody is a term used to describe the perceived persistence of the body in relation to screen-based technology, encompassing how screens become extensions or mediators of bodily action, perception, and identity. It covers devices such as smartphones, tablets, wearables, and head-mounted displays, as well as software modalities that translate gesture, gaze, and haptic feedback into digital signal.

The concept appears in contemporary design criticism and media studies as a way to discuss embodiment in the digital age. It does not denote a single formal theory, but a lens for examining how interactions with screens shape posture, movement, attention, and affect.

In practical terms, screentobody informs user experience design, accessibility, and ergonomic considerations by emphasizing how interface geometry, input modalities, and feedback loops influence bodily engagement. In immersive media, it raises questions about presence, co-presence, and sensory substitution.

Critics warn that focusing on screentobody may obscure other factors shaping behavior, and that the term risks overemphasizing the body's passive adaptation to devices. Proponents counter that it highlights how bodies and technologies co-constitute experience.

The concept intersects with fields such as human-computer interaction, participatory design, media theory, and digital ethnography.