IU Study: Germany in a State of Constant Digital Stress

• 81.0 per cent of respondents check their digital devices at least once an hour – even without notifications.
• One third of respondents frequently or daily feel emotionally or mentally exhausted by the end of the day; similarly, one third of employees feel obliged to be available outside working hours.
• More than half of respondents wish they could be offline more often – but cannot manage it.
• 22.3 per cent report that their social environment does not accept failure to respond immediately to digital messages.

Erfurt, 21 May 2026. Always-on rather than switching off: People in Germany find themselves in a state of permanent digital readiness. This is shown by a new representative study from IU International University of Applied Sciences. The IU study "Always-on: Digital Stress in Germany" demonstrates that 44.2 per cent of respondents feel they are mentally 'on standby' all the time; 46.9 per cent feel mentally tense even when they actually want to switch off. The younger the respondents, the more frequently they report experiencing such always-on patterns.

According to the IU study, permanent digital readiness shapes the entire daily lives of people in Germany: 81.0 per cent look at their smartphone, tablet or laptop at least once or twice an hour – even without specific notifications. This behaviour is particularly pronounced amongst young people: 90.6 per cent of 16- to 30-year-olds check their digital devices at least once or twice an hour, whilst 68.1 per cent do so at least three times.

From constant mental activation to digital exhaustion

This permanent availability can have consequences: 32.0 per cent of respondents frequently or even daily feel emotionally or mentally exhausted by the end of the day. 31.9 per cent report frequent or daily problems falling asleep or staying asleep. Women are particularly affected by exhaustion and sleep problems (38.5 and 38.6 per cent respectively).

"The results show that we are "always on" in our everyday lives: our minds are constantly active from the moment we wake up until we fall asleep: throughout work, family life and our daily routines. Many people want to spend more time offline, but find it difficult to do so due to the way their lives are structured. This is not merely an individual issue of self-management, but a societal pattern of stress, with health and economic consequences" explains Prof. Dr Stefanie André, Professor of Health Management at IU International University of Applied Sciences.

Discrepancy between desire and reality

More than half of respondents (56.0 per cent) state that they would like to be offline more frequently.

What prevents people from switching off? The IU study shows that:

• 42.2 per cent of employees feel they must be permanently available in both their professional and private daily lives;
• 32.9 per cent of employees feel obliged to be available outside working hours as well;
• and 56.2 per cent of people in Germany feel that their social environment expects them to respond promptly to digital messages; for 22.3 per cent, their environment does not accept failure to respond immediately to digital messages.

"More than half of the respondents would like to spend more time offline but are unable to do so. This does not indicate a lack of awareness, but rather intense external pressure: social norms, the need to be available for work and the fear of missing out (FOMO). Underlying this are complex psychological mechanisms that go beyond individual behaviour" states Prof. Dr Timo Kortsch, Professor of Business Psychology at IU International University of Applied Sciences.

Fragmented attention: Digital disruptions as a stress factor

The pressure behind constant digital availability and digital distraction bring concentration problems with them:

• 51.7 per cent state that their attention constantly jumps between different things.
• 37.2 per cent quickly lose their train of thought when interrupted by digital messages.
• 44.3 per cent of respondents feel overwhelmed by the volume of digital information.

Younger people and women particularly affected

The IU study reveals differences by gender and age: Women more frequently experience negative effects from digital availability than men – they more often report being easily distracted (40.3 vs 29.9 per cent) and being dependent on digital media (31.6 vs 20.3 per cent).

Regarding the source of the strongest pressure to be available, women (43.3 per cent) cite family more frequently than men (37.5 per cent), whilst men more often feel pressure from work regarding availability (33.7 per cent: men vs 27.2 per cent: women).

"We're all familiar with message-read confirmations and the anticipation that comes with them, wondering when we'll finally get a reply. As a result, many people feel not only the pressure to be available but also to respond promptly. This pressure to live up to expectations is particularly high within the family context – especially for women, who in many households still bear the brunt of the mental strain associated with caregiving and day-to-day organisation", explains Prof. Dr André.

Amongst young people aged 16 to 30, permanent digital readiness is particularly pronounced: Nearly half (48.6 per cent) of respondents are afraid of missing something important (FOMO) when they are offline.

What helps against digital stress?

The most frequently cited helpful measures against digital stress¹ according to people in Germany are: switching off push notifications (38.4 per cent), activating "do not disturb" mode (29.5 per cent) and physical activity or sport – completely without digital devices (28.7 per cent).

About the study

The study "Always-on: Digital Stress in Germany" from IU International University of Applied Sciences examines how constant digital availability shapes daily life and what effects it has on health, concentration and quality of life. For the study, 2,000 people in Germany aged 16 to 65 were surveyed. The sample is representative of the German population by age and gender. The survey was conducted between 13 January and 19 January 2026.

The complete study is available at: https://www.iu.de/en/research/studies/iu-study-digital-stress-in-germany/

For interview requests with the study experts Prof. Dr. André and Prof. Dr. Kortsch

Prof. Dr. André and Prof. Dr. Kortsch are available for interviews upon request. Please direct inquiries to:

Press Office – IU International University of Applied Sciences
Email: presse@iu.org
Phone: +49 (0)173/7426 113

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