Digital stress New technologies often cause mental stress

Digitization a significant stressor

The consequences that digitization will have for employment and the working world in Germany in the long term can only be speculated, but in any case, significant changes can be expected. Working with digital technologies has already noticeably changed the professional world. According to a recent representative survey, this also leads to increased stress among the employees.

In the largest and most comprehensive study to date on the topic of "Digital Stress in Germany", researchers from the University of Augsburg and the Fraunhofer Project Group Business Informatics have investigated the stresses and strains that result from working with digital technologies. The study, funded by the Hans Böckler Foundation, is free for download.

Many employees suffer from digital stress. This can also lead to massive health problems. (Image: Wrangler / fotolia.com)

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The current study focused on "the progressing digitization and the resulting change in the stress and strain profile at the workplace," explains Henner Gimpel from the Center for Interdisciplinary Health Research (ZIG) at the University of Augsburg. The data are representative across industries and federal states. A total of 2,640 participants were interviewed for the study.

Digitization of the workplace is not the only decisive factor

The researchers conclude that the phenomenon or problem of digital stress "can be identified across all regions, sectors, types of activity and individual demographic factors." This stress is due to the fact that the working population does not or insufficiently with digital technologies knowledge. It is not the degree of digitization of the workplace alone which determines the level of digital stress, but rather the imbalance between the skills in dealing with digital technologies on the one hand and the demands they place on employees on the other, the experts explain.

Young employees intensified affected

Surprisingly, the survey showed that 25- to 34-year-olds are more heavily burdened than other age groups, although young people in particular are generally expected to be more competent in dealing with digital technologies. It was also striking that "women who work in more digitized jobs feel more competent than men, but at the same time suffer more from digital stress than men," say the researchers.

Uncertainty in dealing with digital technologies

According to the latest study results, insecurity in the use of digital technologies is perceived as the greatest stress factor across gender, but also the unreliability of the technologies, the digital flood in all areas of life and other factors should be mentioned here. The study has also shown that excessive digital stress is associated with a significant increase in health complaints.

Threatening health complaints

According to study authors, "more than half of the workers exposed to high levels of digital stress suffer from back pain, headaches and general fatigue." Excessive digital stress also affects job performance and leads to " strong work-life conflict ", according to the announcement of the University of Augsburg on the study results.

What countermeasures could help?

Researchers conclude that measures to prevent stress are first and foremost measures that avoid digital technology inefficiencies. "This primarily includes behavioral preventive measures such as the procurement and acquisition of competences in dealing with digital technologies as well as coping with digital stress," emphasizes Gimpel. However, it is also about using digital technologies in a measured and individually optimized manner, providing and ensuring support and placing the highest importance on the reliability of the design of the digital technologies used, the expert continued. (Fp)