CARC Research in Social Sciences

Digital Detox in Nature: Measuring Cortisol Reduction and Attention Restoration Among Gen Z

2025-12-22T06:16:08+00:00

This paper discusses the consequences of a 7-day digital detox in nature, in regard to physiological and cognitive results, with special attention to Generation Z (Gen Z) college students. As more and more people are becoming worried about the effect of over-digitizing on health, especially the youth, this study investigates how reconnecting with nature can be beneficial. One hundred and twenty participants were selected in three groups randomly and allotted to groups that comprised nature retreat, urban setting and control group to enable comparative analysis of results. The physiological outcome was a cortisol, which is one of the major stress hormones, and cognitive functioning was determined as a sustained attention. The findings revealed that the nature retreat group recorded a large decrease in cortisol (34 percent) relative to both the other groups, which means that physiological stress had reduced. Also, the nature retreat group reported an increase in sustained attention by 28% and this implies that there was positive impact on cognitive restoration. These results highlight the possibility of the nature-based interventions, specifically the need to unplug, in the facilitation of physiological and mental health. The study suggests that nature therapy should be included in wellness programmes and digital wellness policies especially among Gen Z, who are increasingly using digital technologies.

THE GIG ECONOMY'S FLEXIBILITY PREMIUM: A COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF LABOR MARKET PRECARITY

2025-12-22T05:34:09+00:00

This paper presents the first detailed cost-benefit analysis of the premium of flexibility in gig work based on administrative tax survey data and primary survey data on 10,000 gig workers on large platforms (Uber, TaskRabbit, Upwork) in 2022-2024. We estimate a mean gross flexibility premium of 4.20 hours per hour the wage difference workers are paid to have scheduling flexibility. This premium is however more than compensated by this precarity costs of: health insurance setbacks (costs of $2.80/hr), retirement contribution losses (costs of 1.45/hr), self-employment taxes penalties (costs of 0.95/hr), risk of income volatility (costs of 0.40/hr) and gaps in workers compensation (costs of 0.20/hr). Net welfare analysis finds that the median worker has negative net hourly returns of -1.60, but this has a considerable level of heterogeneity: high-skilled freelancers ( Upwork ) have net returns of +3.20/hour and low-skill platform workers ( Uber, TaskRabbit ) have net returns of -3.10/hour. Age stratifying reveals workers below 35 years experiencing -2.40/ hour net expenses because of lower minimum wages and higher insurance costs, and workers over 55 years experiencing -0.80/ hour because of lowered health cost gaps because of Medicare eligibility. Analysis of tax records shows that income volatility is 3.4 times greater among gig workers as opposed to traditional workers, with 34 percent of the gig workers experiencing fluctuation in income greater than 50 percent every month-to-month. Systematic misperception of survey data, 72% of new gig workers are overestimating the value of flexibility by 40-60% and underestimating the costs of benefits. Simulations of policies show that a portable benefits mandate would drive net costs to -$0.50/hour and 85 percent of flexibility value will be maintained. We suggest the Flexibility-Precarity Transparency Act of which platforms will reveal the real net earnings after making benefits adjustments. The results are important to the portable benefits legislation, platform regulation and worker classification controversies.

GREENWASHING OR GENUINE? BLOCKCHAIN-POWERED TRANSPARENCY IN SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN ACCOUNTABILITY

2025-12-22T06:33:43+00:00

Increasing interest in sustainability in the supply chains has led to several measures undertaken by organizations in order to demonstrate their interest in environmental responsibility. There have however arisen concerns over greenwashing which involves companies falsely stating they are sustainable and this has destroyed consumer confidence coupled with environmental objectives. This paper explores how blockchain technology can contribute towards the realization of true sustainability in the supply chains. In particular, it discusses the benefits of transparency enabled with blockchain to increase the accountability of the supply chain and eliminate greenwashing. This was done through a mixed-method strategy, which consisted of a survey of 200 supply chain managers coupled with in-depth interviews with 15 industry experts. The main conclusions are that blockchain ledger and access to real-time data are important in validating claims of sustainability. Nevertheless, blockchain is a promising technology that can be used to increase transparency and build consumer confidence despite the difficulty of implementation. The research has both practical implications on the supply chain managers wishing to enhance the practice on credibility and sustainability as well as giving insights to the policymakers of utilizing technology to fight greenwashing.

CLIMATE SECURITY REGIMES: RETHINKING SOVEREIGNTY IN THE ERA OF ECO-MIGRATION AND CARBON COLONIALISM

2025-12-22T05:52:15+00:00

This paper examines how climate security, migration and the re-conceptualization of the notion of sovereignty in the ever-evolving world climate change has increased global security challenges, such as eco-migration and the emergence of carbon colonialism that has put pressure on the traditional concept of sovereignty and territorial delimiting in the relations between states. The study reviews qualitatively the existing frameworks to determine how the processes of climate-induced displacement, which are facilitated by the slow-onset environmental modifications as well as extreme weather conditions, has exposed the weaknesses of state-centric conceptualizations of governance. This paper critically evaluates the consequences of eco-migration to sovereignty and national security with the help of historical examples of colonial exploitation and the existing solutions related to environmental injustice in the frame of global climate regulations. The paper assesses the new security regimes by using the case studies of the regions that have been impacted by eco-migration and carbon exploitation, proposing the redefinition of sovereignty to integrate the environmental and migration-related issues. Its results indicate that transnational and collaborative strategies are required to tackle the issue of eco-migration and curtail exploitation of vulnerable states in the name of carbon colonialism. The present paper proposes the need to have extensive global policies that will ensure that environmental justice is promoted and that sovereignty is re-imagined in a world that is experiencing crises as a consequence of climate change

EdTech Colonization: A Critical Policy Analysis of Venture Capital's Impact on Curriculum Sovereignty and Teacher Agency

2025-12-22T06:44:48+00:00

platforms are reorganizing the public education governance, undermining curriculum sovereignty and undermining teacher agency. This paper will analyse how data colonialism functions in educational technology markets using critical discourse analysis of 75 procurement documents, analysis of 12 investment theses and synthesis of 7 published ethnographies, which contain teacher narratives. The results indicate that two-thirds of district contracts have perpetual data licenses, three-quarters of them do not include audit rights of an algorithm, and algorithmic governance replaces teacher professional judgment in a systematic way. Using the concept of data colonialism and the Critical Race Digital Studies approach, this article suggests a Curriculum Sovereignty Impact Assessment framework to EdTech procurement, whereby the absence of federal requirements to disclose algorithms and enable teacher override ability results in AI-enhanced learning continuing to mine advantage out of public institutions and centralizing curricular authority to proprietary systems.