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• Posted December 17, 2024

Feeling 'Techno-Strain' From Work? You're Not Alone

Research out of the United Kingdom finds workers often feel overwhelmed by digital technology and the need to always be connected online.

It's a worldwide issue, the study authors believe.

"What we have found in our research is that there is a potential dark side to digital working, where employees can feel fatigue and strain due to being overburdened by the demands and intensity of the digital work environment," said lead study author Elizabeth Marsh, a graduate student in psychology at the University of Nottingham.

"A sense of pressure to be constantly connected and keeping up with messages can make it hard to psychologically detach from work," she added in a university news release.

The study was published Dec. 17 in the journal Frontiers in Organizational Psychology.

In their research, Marsh and colleagues conducted in-depth interviews with 14 employees about how 21st-century digital workplaces impact their well-being.

The biggest factor weighing on workers is what the researchers called "hyperconnectivity" -- the fact that texting and emails mean workers can truly never get away from the alerts and requests of clients or co-workers.

“You kind of feel like you have to be there all the time. You have to be a little green light," one worker told the research team.

“[It’s] just more difficult to leave it behind when it's all online and you can kind of jump on and do work at any time of the day or night," another employee said.

“It's that pressure to respond [...] I've received an e-mail, I've gotta do this quickly because if not, someone might think “What is she doing from home?” one more worker noted.

It doesn't have to be this way, Marsh said. Too often, workers are feeling that the borders between work and home life are blurring, with pressure to work even in "off hours."

“The findings underline the need for both researchers and professionals to identify, understand and mitigate the digital workplace job demands to protect the well-being of digital workers," Marsh concluded.

More information

Find out more about easing work stress at Harvard Health.

SOURCE: University of Nottingham, news release, Dec. 17, 2024