Digital stress: when technology overwhelms us
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Stress is a psychological and physiological state that places us in a state of alertness and, in a chronic form, can be very harmful to our health. We are stressed by unexpected life events, worries, routine and the activities we perform on a daily basis without realizing it. This is the case of digital stress, which consists of stress related to the media, technological devices and, above all, social networks.
Like other types of stress, digital stress has harmful consequences for health. In addition to those common to any type of stress, it can have specific consequences specifically on the brain, due to the development of multiple tasks. That is, the use of digital technology allows, and sometimes forces us to, multitask and be aware of different types of information, which can take its toll in the long run.
What is digital stress? Digital stress is the anxiety generated by the desire to combine online life with the rest of daily activities. It is produced by different factors related to the media: social networks, information received in the media, e-mail, receiving a multitude of notifications from work, etc.
Among the main symptoms presented by someone with digital stress are the following:
Nomophobia. This is the name given to the irrational fear of being without a telephone or of not being able to use it. Although the need to disconnect is felt, being disconnected ends up generating fear and insecurity for not being available or not being able to keep up with the networks.
Checking behaviors. That is, the need to check if there is any pending matter. For example, checking if we have received an email, a message or checking the feed of our favorite social network.
At the same time that there is the need to be connected, there is also the need to disconnect. These search and alert behaviors in case we receive something can lead to physical symptoms such as headaches, sleep problems or lack of concentration.
The technological invasionAccording to data, in 1995 only 10% of the adult population used the Internet, while in 2011 it was already close to 80%. By 2020, the figures have risen to 91% in Spain, 96% in the United Kingdom and 99% in the United Arab Emirates, the place in the world with the highest figure. Of these percentages, adults spend an average of 6 hours connected to cell phones, with messaging and social networking applications predominating.
Although the figures may seem alarming, the reality is that nowadays it is practically impossible to escape from technology. It is an advance that is here to stay and to grow. So, nowadays, most of us are surrounded and bombarded continuously by information and digital devices.
The problem that then arises is that we forget to connect with offline life. In addition, its dizzying pace has led us to generalize it also in our routine, that is, technology is fast, changing and available at all hours. As a result, it is as stimulating as it is overwhelming, and we spend our days wanting to attend to everything as quickly as possible.
Being on everything and on nothingDigital stress does not only take into account the use of cell phones. We should add the time spent browsing websites, checking email, listening to streaming music, virtual meetings or simply using the computer for work. Thus, being surrounded by technology leads us to constantly change devices and activities or tasks.
According to experts, those who have to work with e-mail, usually change windows, and therefore their focus of attention, about 36 times per hour. That is, on average, every two minutes we change what we are doing. While those who do not use e-mail, do it about 18 times. This ability to multitask, which until recently was considered a beneficial quality, actually has a number of consequences on our performance.
It is estimated that the brain is able to cope with two simultaneous tasks, but when more are introduced, it becomes uncoordinated. It begins to wait for more information from another channel to be prepared for a possible opportunity or threat. It is then that we are less able to filter and retain information, to switch from one task to another and to concentrate. In short, by tackling multiple fronts, we are less productive.
Digital detoxificationAs indicated, stress is related to poorer physical and psychological health, which can even have very long-term consequences. It is therefore important to know how to identify and manage the situations that provoke it. In this case, it is also necessary to know how to free oneself from digital stress and, to do so, specialists recommend a detox.
For a good digital detox, the main thing is to abstain from using technology for a while and take advantage of the opportunity to connect with the real environment.
However, as we reflected before, nowadays it is very difficult to disconnect for a long period of time. So the following tips can be followed to minimize the negative effects of technological saturation:
Avoid social networks or entertainment apps during study or work time. Ironically, there are many applications to control the time spent and even block access to the apps you want. You can also do this from the settings of your devices. It is important to set a schedule and a time limit for socializing online.
If it is necessary to work with the computer, it is necessary to maintain order and cleanliness in the computer environment. The more pleasant it is, the better the concentration will be.
Choose a specific time to read e-mail according to your real needs. This will avoid constantly checking it and, therefore, disconnecting from other tasks.
If you happen to find interesting content, save it for later reading.
As for multitasking, if it is unavoidable, it is advisable to group tasks by similarity, which will avoid overloading the mind when changing focus.
In short, technologies are very useful, but it is important to know how to keep our distance so that they do not saturate us and affect us negatively instead of helping us. Spend more time connecting with the people around you, with yourself and with nature. In addition to being more satisfying, it will make you recover sooner from digital life.
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