🪷 Wellbeing
✦
Oct 24, 2024
✦
7 min read
Already in 2017, 74% of people reported feeling stressed and sometimes unable to cope with stressful situations, which translates to about 7 out of 10 people. But what’s happening, and why have we become such ultra-stressed generations?
Being stressed isn’t new—exams, weddings, specific events—it can be both positive and negative. And that’s okay.
The problem lies in the frequency, intensity, and sources of our stress. And in this regard, things have changed significantly.
According to a 2018 study, 30% of older people said they had never felt overwhelmed by stress. Today, only 7% of adults feel that way. So, is this a generational difference or a symptom of our modern society?
What Causes Digital Stress and Pressure?
Excessive stress isn’t necessarily a good thing. It can contribute to general discomfort, cause depression, loss of self-esteem, or even burnout.
But before addressing it, it’s important to question its origin. Where does all this stress and constant pressure come from?
🔗 Constant Connection
Whether it’s BeReal, Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat, you have to be on at least one of these platforms if you don’t want to feel outdated. Today, 63.7% of the world’s population is on at least one of these platforms.
These platforms, which initially aimed to simply connect us, have also become significant pressure points in our daily lives. Social media has us dealing with a surge in FOMO and “always-on” culture.
You feel the need to never disconnect, never stop sharing, or risk fading into obscurity. And if you don’t stay on top of every trend, you might feel like you’re missing out—like you’re out of the loop.
This digital life is almost like a full-time job. Between mental overload and packed schedules, it’s no surprise we’re experiencing burnout.
🚨 Information Overload
We live in an era where everything is accessible with one click: news, entertainment, food, transportation… all of these services are businesses aiming to capture your attention for consumption.
In other words, it’s a constant battlefield between your phone and your brain. The result? We are bombarded with information continuously (ads, notifications, alerts, …). It’s estimated that 571 new websites are created every minute.
Being confronted with all this information isn’t without consequences—far from it. 1 in 5 Americans feels overwhelmed by information overload, and they experience it negatively. Yes, quantity doesn’t always mean quality.
Experts have also shown that as time goes on, the quality of information has decreased even though its quantity has increased. In short: today, we have too much low-quality information. We’re exposed to it continuously, and it impacts us negatively…
😈 Performance Pressure
While social networks (both personal and professional) can be interesting tools, they can quickly become toxic spaces.
In the past, social comparison was limited to our immediate surroundings. If your neighbor bought a luxury car, you immediately compared yourself. They lived in the same environment, often worked in the same field, and had similar life standards. The comparison felt “fair.” Today, with social networks, it’s not your neighbor anymore. We compare ourselves to strangers from all over the world, living in completely different political, demographic, and sociological contexts. Yet we continuously compare ourselves to them.
The result? The pressure is even greater because it’s sometimes unattainable. In the past, you wouldn’t have compared yourself to the CEO of a multinational company. Today, you might—if that CEO is a TikTok influencer.
In the end, these platforms have become sources of pressure. On LinkedIn, how many posts from “successful” people have you read? How many left you indifferent versus made you feel bad? Immediately, you start questioning your career, your goals, your successes, and your failures—comparing apples to oranges.
🃏 Lack of Boundaries
Today, we live without much questioning—yolo. We spend 8 hours on our phones, so what? We share our whole lives on Instagram, so what? We leave work at 10 PM, so what?
Well, living in excess isn’t necessarily healthy. If social networks sell the idea that you have to work tirelessly to rise quickly, that you need to have an inspiring lifestyle every minute, and that you must stay connected for fear of disappearing… our bodies need something different.
They need rest and moments without stimulation to process the information they’ve absorbed (new knowledge, skills…). Without boundaries and breaks, it can’t function properly. The result? Pressure builds up, it’s an emotional rollercoaster (ups and downs), and sometimes you feel empty or overloaded. In the long term, this could seriously harm our physical and mental health.
How Digital Tools Can Add to Stress vs. Help Manage It
In our digital universe, we have two types of tools: those that amplify our stress and those that help manage or soothe it.
Amplifiers: social media (addiction, doomscrolling, infinite scrolling), notifications (push, alerts, reminders), retention-based services (like Snapchat streak—if you don’t send a snap daily, you lose the streak).
Relievers: meditation and fitness apps, productivity apps, app blockers, cultural services (music, podcasts, audiobooks, books, book summaries).
All are equally accessible at our fingertips, yet our brains tend to favor some over others. Why? Because “positive” services rarely bombard you from all directions, unlike “amplifier” services. The Books app doesn’t operate on the same business model as Facebook, and their objectives are very different. If you’re interested in learning more about how social networks sell your time, we go into detail in this other article.
Effective Ways to Manage Stress in the Digital Age
Of course, we always have a choice: to accept being a victim of stress or to fight it, to take back control of our lives. What you need to understand is that you can’t eliminate stress if you don’t tackle it at the root, if you’re not ready to make changes, even sacrifices for some. But if you’re ready, here are some things to try:
🛑 Set Limits
Screen time is more important than we think. At first glance, we might not see the consequences. We spend 8 hours on it, so what? Let’s think about it differently. That’s 8 hours exposed to sometimes violent, polarized, or manipulative content. We also spend it comparing ourselves—physically, mentally, and professionally. 8 hours a day, we’re in a state of mind that pulls us down rather than lifts us up. Are those 8 hours really that harmless?
That’s why we recommend setting daily limits. It can be done in different ways: either as a global time limit (e.g., max. 4h/day on your phone) or more targeted (e.g., 2h on social networks, 1h on emails, 3h on streaming). You decide what seems most appropriate.
To help, you can use the free Jomo app, available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. With Jomo, for example, you can set a maximum screen time limit per day, progressively blocking your apps (instead of all at once like traditional tools).
For instance, in our case, we could say we don’t want to exceed 4 hours of screen time per day. Our activity includes using social networks for personal (TikTok, Instagram, etc.) and professional (LinkedIn) purposes, news apps (WSJ, etc.), and messaging apps.
Rule 1: Block news apps once you reach 1 hour of screen time.
Rule 2: Block social media apps when you reach 2 hours.
Rule 3: Block messaging apps when you reach 4 hours.
Less frustrating than a classic rule, more flexible, and really up to you to learn to manage your “budget” rather than sticking to a restriction you didn’t have before.
🌱 Embrace Minimalism
Leaving the door open to information is already self-sabotage. Let’s avoid putting ourselves through that kind of suffering. Ideally, it’s about being more minimalist in how we consume the services and apps we use.
“What we choose to focus on and what we choose to ignore—plays in defining the quality of our life.” ―Cal Newport
First point: Don’t automatically grant notification permissions. Ask yourself if you really need that app to alert you. You’re not obliged to accept them (some apps simply use them to make you return more often to their services, because time = money).
Filter your apps: Does this app really deserve my time and attention? What purpose does it serve? Is its use more positive or negative for me? If it’s more negative, then say goodbye! 👋
Don’t download every app: Many services we use are also available on the web. Sometimes it’s better to restrict their presence to that space rather than letting them invade. Why? It’s less easy to reflexively or automatically dive in, no notifications, more friction in access.
🗓️ Develop Healthy Habits
There’s nothing wrong with having habits—quite the opposite! It doesn’t make you boring; it makes you someone who takes care of themselves. Habits are positive: they provide a framework for our brains, one that feels secure.
To help, you can use task or planning management apps. They provide structure, helping you at first until your brain then automates them independently.
If you feel that you tend to linger on your phone or procrastinate too much, Jomo can help. For example, you can create “screen-free” times (or at least restrict access to certain apps) at your preferred times. Perfect if you find yourself on TikTok while cooking or distracted by Reels while cleaning!
🤸♀️ Exercise
Exercise is an excellent way to relieve stress. Biologically, you release feel-good hormones, and in your mind, it’s a chance to clear your head!
You don’t have to run if you hate it. There are many types of sports for all kinds of people and conditions! The goal is to set a goal (otherwise, motivation can be hard to sustain, and we give up too easily). You can join a club, association, or even a competition.
To start, you could set up a “Health” blocking rule on Jomo. Distracting apps, for example, will be blocked until you’ve run your 5k, walked your 5,683 steps, swum (meditated, spent time outdoors, etc.). A great way to motivate yourself, right?
And there you have it! We hope you enjoyed this article and that it will help you better manage your stress. If there’s one thing to take away, it’s the need to limit data absorption. We’re careful about what we eat, so why not be more careful about what our brains consume?
