Millennials stressed from tech and social media overload

 

Milennials are suffering from burnout at work -- and tech is a major factor in their stress.

By Eileen Brown for Social Business | September 17, 2019 -- 09:13 GMT (02:13 PDT) 

Burnout is now recognized as a legitimate medical diagnosis, according to the International Classification of Diseases from the World Health Organization.

And it happens to all of us from time to time. But how do employees limit digital workplace-related stress and overcome the tech backlash that drives inefficiency? 

East Weymouth, Mass.-based online acupuncture supply company Lhasa OMS surveyed 2,010 millennials in June 2019 to learn more about their stress levels. It wanted to find out what impact stress has on their lives and their coping methods.

Americans work longer hours and have more stress-related illnesses than in other countries. Stress can affect your thoughts, your behavior, and your health. Almost four out of five (78%) respondents believe that life is more stressful today than for previous generations.

It is not surprising as workers who work a 42-hour week on average report feeling extreme burnout.  

Topping the list of burnout factors for millennials are financial and career stresses. In this digital-first age, over half of millennials (56%) feel that technology or media overload give them a stressful life. A similar percentage (55%) are stressed due to social pressure online.

Almost four in five (78%) of millennials believe life is more stressful today than for previous generations and cite debt, a competitive job market, and expensive healthcare as their top stress factors.

Over nine in 10 (91%) of respondents said a higher income would lead to them feeling less stressed. According to the Sleep Judge, the younger generation does not want to spend time at a job unrelated to their degree and that doesn't pay enough for financial security.

Millennials experiencing burnout worked an average of 41 hours per week, which is more than baby boomers.

Our inability to switch off, coupled with the addictive functionality of mobile devices, can lead to high levels of stress, anxiety, and even fractured personal relationships.

There is a correlation between the provision of technology and worker happiness, reducing stress at work by helping tame today's always-on, 24/7 nature of work. But how do we de-stress? Many of us do not have the time.

Despite feeling stressed out multiple times a week, only 12% of millennials regularly set aside time to de-stress, and almost three in five (57%) feel guilty after making the time for self-care.

Although life feels more stressful today than it was in previous generations, only 9% find the time to have a detox from technology to enable them to recharge and recuperate after a period of stress.

Whatever your way of dealing with stress, make sure you take the time to de-stress and do a digital detox -- before stress consumes your life.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/millennials-stressed-from-tech-and-social-media-overload/