How to Deal with Technology Fatigue

With people having to spend more time on their computers for work, school, and socializing, many people are starting to feel tech fatigue—also known as Technostress or Digital Fatigue. This idea has been around for several years but has become far more mainstream lately.

Zoom Fatigue: One of the forms of tech fatigue that is specific to the last few months is Zoom fatigue (google searches for this term have steadily increased since March). Although Zoom video meetings are very powerful for keeping people feeling connected, there is a huge difference between seeing people face-to-face and seeing them over a screen. You would never stare at a colleague intently for 30-minutes straight in real life, but we somehow feel like we need to do this on Zoom to show that we are paying attention. Taking regular breaks and asking people to switch to phone calls are the best ways to combat this. 

Turn off Your Apps/News Notifications: As a digital strategist and former tech founder, I've been working to manage tech fatigue for a few years now. One of the best things that I've done was turning off all notifications (including texts). This can be a bit annoying for people who want my attention immediately, but to stay focused, I only check in during scheduled times and then I can check everything at once and it minimizes my "reacting" to social media. 

Ergonomic Desk Setup: If you are now spending more time working on your computer and devices at home, make sure your work environment is ergonomically friendly. Be conscious of the height of your keyboard (only 1-2 inches above your thighs), monitor (arms-length away), your chair (sitting comfortably), and lighting to make the experience as painless as possible. 
There are a few clips from this video that could be used to demonstrate good desk setup.

Sleep Hygiene: Our devices can really play havoc on our sleep patterns and cause us to have real problems falling asleep. Experts recommend that we do not look at a screen at least half an hour before you are ready for sleep. 

Digital Detox: If you feel depressed, anxious or angry after spending time on social media or browsing online, take some time away from all devices. I've been trying to reduce the amount of time that I spend on tech on Sundays, and I always feel a lot better after a few unconnected hours. It's okay to walk away :)

CTV Morning Live - Saskatoon | Avoiding Tech Fatigue