0
0
A new Finnish study has uncovered a surprising culprit behind our growing sense of digital overload — and it’s not the number of hours we spend staring at our phones.
Most people know the routine all too well: a quick glance at email, a fast scroll through Instagram, a rapid reply on WhatsApp. Within minutes, we’ve jumped between several apps without even noticing. According to researchers at Aalto University, this rapid switching — not total screen time — is the real source of smartphone‑induced stress.
Fragmentation, Not Duration
As reported by scinexx.de, the key issue is what scientists call fragmentation: the constant hopping between apps, tasks, and notifications. Instead of focusing on one activity, our attention is repeatedly interrupted.
“We feel overwhelmed when we can no longer process all the incoming information,” explains study author Henrik Lassila.
The researchers found that this sense of overload is closely linked to negative emotions. Ironically, these emotions then drive people to check their phones even more often, creating a self‑reinforcing cycle of stress.
Even more striking: participants who felt highly overwhelmed did not reduce their phone usage. They spent just as much time on their devices as those who felt less stressed.
Breaking the Cycle
To counter digital overload, the scientists recommend two simple strategies:
1. Turn off non‑essential push notifications
Reducing the number of interruptions helps prevent the constant fragmentation of attention.
2. Use “batching” to check messages
Instead of reacting instantly, set specific times — for example, twice a day — to read and respond to messages.
“You don’t have to react to every notification immediately. Do one thing at a time,” advises researcher Janne Lindqvist.
In a follow‑up study, participants who used batching reported feeling noticeably less stressed.
- source: heute.at/picture: pixabay.com
This post has already been read 120 times!
