Skip to main content

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

By Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Dec 17, 2024.

via HealthDay

TUESDAY, Dec. 17, 2024 -- 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.

Sources

  • University of Nottingham, news release, Dec. 17, 2024

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Number Of Family Caregivers Has Skyrocketed in The U.S.

FRIDAY, July 25, 2025 — The number of Americans caring for an older or disabled family member has risen dramatically during the past 10 years, according to a new AARP policy...

Heavy Grief Nearly Doubles Bereaved's Risk Of Early Death

FRIDAY, July 25, 2025 — People intensely grieving a loved one are nearly twice as likely to die within a decade of their loss, a new study says. Those whose grief remained...

African Psychedelic, Ibogaine, Might Help Combat Vets Recover From Traumatic Brain Injury

FRIDAY, July 25, 2025 — Veterans who receive traumatic brain injuries in combat often experience crippling post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression, leaving...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.