Symptom or consequence? The difference
Before we delve into the effects of digital burnout, Prof. Dr Stefanie André briefly explains the difference between a symptom and a consequence of stress. She also elaborates on why it is difficult to distinguish between the two terms.
Symptoms of stress
Symptoms of stress are immediately noticeable signs of mental or physical strain. Typical symptoms include restlessness, tension, irritability, headaches, sleep disturbances or difficulty concentrating. The nature and severity of symptoms vary from person to person and dependent on the situation — stress is not a clinical diagnosis.
Consequences of stress
Consequences of stress are long-term effects that arise as a result of prolonged or recurring stressful situations. They can manifest as emotional changes (e.g. exhaustion), cognitive impairments (e.g. difficulty concentrating), physical symptoms (e.g. sleep disturbance) and behavioural changes (e.g. social withdrawal) – and can even lead to long-term conditions such as burnout.
Difficulties in drawing a distinction
Distinguishing between the symptoms and consequences of stress can be difficult because many signs of stress cannot be clearly classified as belonging to just one of these two categories – exhaustion, for example, can be both an immediate symptom and a longer-term consequence.
Therefore, symptoms and consequences are referred to collectively as stress-related effects.
Prof. Dr Stefanie André
Professor of Health Management at IU International University of Applied Sciences
What are the effects of digital stress?
According to the representative IU study, people in Germany perceive the effects of digital availability in a variety of ways. Particularly common experiences among respondents include: feeling distracted, stressed and a feeling of being dependent on digital media or of being constantly “on standby”. Digital stress can also manifest itself as tension, exhaustion and sleep problems.
Lack of focus and high stress levels as a result of being constantly available
Women are more likely than men to say that they feel easily distracted and dependent on digital media because they are constantly available.
Question: Which of the following negative effects do you experience as a result of being digitally available in day-to-day life?
Top 15 answers
Constantly “on standby”. Constantly on edge
44.2% feel as though their minds are constantly “on standby”, while 46.9% feel their minds are tense, even when they would actually like to switch off. The younger the respondents, the more often they report experiencing these “always on” tendencies.
Question: To what extent do you agree with the following statement? “I feel as though my mind is constantly ‘on standby’.”
Excerpt from the statements included in the survey
Question: To what extent do you agree with the following statement? “I feel as though my mind is tense, even when I would actually like to switch off.”
Excerpt from the statements included in the survey
Our attention span? Scattered and fragmented
Digital interruptions are micro-triggers of digital stress. Many people find it difficult to ignore digital notifications and are distracted by digital devices in their day-to-day lives (see section “Perception vs. reality”). This impacts our ability to concentrate:
Question: To what extent do you agree with the following statements?
Excerpts from the statements included in the survey; only the answers “completely agree” and “tend to agree” on a scale of 1 to 4
³ Only respondents who are employees, apprentices or trainees
Question: To what extent do you agree with the following statement?
Excerpts from the statements included in the survey; only the answers “completely agree” and “tend to agree” on a scale of 1 to 4
The results reveal a typical pattern of how digital stress is experienced: many people do not feel burdened by the digital world in their daily lives, but some find themselves in a state of constant availability and perceive the continuous flood of information as mentally taxing. Digital interruptions constantly break their focus and fracture their ability to concentrate. Psychologically, this can be described as a persistent state of stimulation. Constant stimuli and the potential for something important coming up keep the brain in a state of heightened activity, without allowing for sufficient periods of rest. This condition surpasses conventional, isolated stressors and can cause mental exhaustion and reduced concentration in the long term.”
Prof. Dr Timo Kortsch
Professor of Business Psychology at IU International University of Applied Sciences
Exhaustion is a chronic condition for almost a third of people
Are people in Germany coping well with their (digital) daily lives? The answer: 31.2% of respondents sometimes feel emotionally or mentally exhausted at the end of the day. For 32.0% this is a frequent or even daily occurrence – women are particularly affected (38.5%).
Question: Over the last 4 weeks, how often have you experienced the following: “I have felt emotionally or mentally exhausted at the end of the day.”
Restless nights? The norm for just under a third
31.9% also report frequent or daily difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Here, too, it is evident that: women experience this more frequently (38.6%) than men (25.0%).
Question: Over the last 4 weeks, how often have you experienced the following: “I had trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep because my mind was still racing.”
The results reveal a society in a constant state of readiness: mentally, people are always on the alert, even without a specific reason. ‘Always on’ is accordingly not an individual phenomenon, but a structural pattern of stress with gender- and age-specific manifestations. Young people in particular are digitally socialised and more closely integrated into constant online communication. Women are more likely to take on coordinating and emotional roles within the family, at work and in their social circles, and which are facilitated by digital technology. This raises a key question: is promoting resilience enough, or are fundamentally new approaches needed to achieve genuine, lasting recovery?”
Prof. Dr Stefanie André
Professor of Health Management at IU International University of Applied Sciences
