Opinion – it’s time to abandon our ‘always on’ culture

Last year, a report by the American Psychological Association found that 67 percent of U.S. adults experience stress due to being constantly reachable through technology.

This is especially the case for employees who frequently check work emails outside of office hours – whether as a habit or out of necessity. The study revealed these individuals experienced significantly higher levels of anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances.

But this isn’t just a professional issue. Anxiety, stress, and other mental health struggles stemming from the use of modern technology are affecting every generation as technology embeds itself into every facet of modern life.

Social media platforms, once viewed as a way to keep in touch with our personal network, are now riddled with ads and cleverly engineered to keep us scrolling indefinitely. The repetitive moment of scrolling and refreshing works like a casino to feed our dopamine receptors under the guise of ‘being connected’ to others.

And although most teens today don’t know a world without smartphones, it doesn’t mean they’re well adapted to ‘always on’ culture.

A 2021 Pew Research Center survey revealed many as 31 percent of teens reported feeling overwhelmed by the constant stream of notifications that appear on their phone.

So why do we tolerate this? Well, the answer likely lies in societal values.

Today, society equates being busy with being important, desired, and coveted, while constant digital availability is mistaken for the ability to make meaningful commitments and connections with others.

Hustle culture glorifies overwork, social media makes us believe everyone is hanging out all the time, and other apps buzz us at regular intervals to gain our attention spans for profit. So, in our increasingly digital ecosystem, switching off from the ‘outside world’ is now seen as a rebellious, sometimes unthinkable act.

Things are hopefully changing for the better, though, as governments and organisations are waking up to the need for intervention.

In 2021, Portugal enacted a law making it illegal for employers to contact workers after hours, signalling a growing international awareness of the problem. The UK’s Labour government wants to enforce similar legislation, known as ‘the right to switch off.’

Some companies have adopted ‘digital detox’ policies for their employees, encouraging them to unplug fully after business hours. Case-by-case efforts like these are good, but difficult to enforce and measure, making them prone to insufficiency.

So, it’s clear that avoiding burnout in the digital age requires setting some serious boundaries – of course, by silencing notifications, deleting apps, or taking digital detoxes – but also by letting people know that we can’t always be available to chat.

To be fair, tech companies are taking steps to help us do this. The introduction of ‘Do Not Disturb’ and ‘Sleep Mode’ on the iPhone were welcome additions in recent years, but personal responsibility can’t always win in a system that is literally designed to keep us in perpetual engagement.

Social media companies continue to say they are working towards making their platforms safer, but these changes are often insignificant or slow to come by.

To ensure a better future for generations to come, educational campaigns should highlight the mental health costs of the overuse of digital technology and promote a more balanced lifestyle. 

For many of us, Gen Z and Millennials alike, it’s starting to feel like it’s time to log off not just from our devices, but from the concept that being ‘busy’ or ‘always available’ makes us more valuable.