Digital work may have a detrimental effect on mental health

Nottingham, England — Workers who are worried about missing out on information but also feel overloaded by it are more likely to experience stress and burnout, according to a recent study.

Researchers at the University of Nottingham surveyed 140 adults who use technology for work at least once a day. Respondents were asked about the adverse side effects of the digital workplace – which include stress, overload, anxiety and fear of missing out – and how they affected their well-being.

Findings show that among the side effects, those relating to information – both feeling overwhelmed by it and fearing missing out on it – proved particularly detrimental for worker well-being and negatively affected levels of anxiety, stress and exhaustion.

“The glut of information flowing through channels such as email, intranets or collaboration tools can lead workers to worry about missing out on it, as well as succumbing to overload as they strive to keep up,” lead study author Elizabeth Marsh, a doctoral student in Nottingham’s School of Psychology, said in a press release. “To help people cope with information overwhelm, serious and sustained attention should be given to both optimizing information management and supporting information literacy.”

The researchers recommend employers:

• Invest in practices that optimize the amount and flow of information to employees.
• Consider policy and training options that would allow workers to better access, manage and consume information in a way that’s conducive to well-being and productivity.
• Reconsider your organization’s information and knowledge management strategy, user-centric content design, personalized and mobile-optimized digital channels, and employee involvement in digital workplace transformation.

The study was published online in the journal SAGE Open.