Stressed by Media

A Stressful, Yet Loving Relationship Technology has improved life for many Americans, and nearly half of this country’s adults say they can’t imagine life without their smartphones.1 At the same time, numerous studies have described consequences of technology use, including negative impacts on physical and mental health.

For the past decade, the American Psychological Association’s Stress in America™ survey has examined how stress affects American adults’ health and well-being. This year’s survey took a deeper look at technology and social media to better understand their link to stress, relationships and overall health and well-being.

The survey showed, nearly all adults (99 percent) own at least one electronic device (including a television). Almost nine in 10 (86 percent) own a computer, 74 percent own an internet-connected smartphone and 55 percent own a tablet.

Research also shows that the percentage of American adults using social media increased from 7 percent to 65 percent between 2005 and 2015. Among young adults ages 18 to 29, the number is even higher — nine in 10 (90 percent) reported using social media in 2015, compared to 12 percent in 2005. Adoption rates among all groups of new and emerging technologies and social media have climbed to enormous proportions, with Facebook and Instagram boasting more than 2 billion combined monthly users .                                                                                          

Survey findings suggest that more than eight in 10 Americans are attached to their gadgets on a typical day (86 percent say they constantly or often check their emails, texts and social media accounts).

For constant checkers, stress runs higher than for those who do not engage with technology as frequently. On a 10-point scale, where 1 is “little or no stress” and 10 is “a great deal of stress,” the average reported overall stress level of constant checkers is 5.3. For non-constant checkers, the average reported stress level is 4.4. Constant checkers also reported a higher average level of stress related to technology during the past month than their non-constant checking peers (3.0 vs. 2.5, respectively). Among employed Americans who check their work email constantly on nonworkdays, their reported overall stress level is 6.0. 

As a constant checker who has other stresses I would say that social media makes up 20% of my daily stress because of all the bad things I see. Every day I see the possibilities on my rights or the rights of close relatives being taken away and that alone is stressful. But if one doesn't stay constantly connected you could miss out of something life changing. 

Many Americans (65 percent) somewhat or strongly agree that periodically “unplugging” or taking a “digital detox” is important for their mental health. However, only 28 percent of those agree about the important of a detox actually report doing so. 

I've been one of those 65% of people but not part of the 28% that actually accomplished it because of how difficult it is and how much media takes up part of my day. 

Nine in 10 Millennials (93 percent) report that they are somewhat or very comfortable with technology, compared to 79 percent of Matures (93 percent of Gen Xers and 90 percent of Boomers say the same). Despite their comfort level, and while more than one-third of Millennials (36 percent) report that social media has helped them find their identity, almost half (48 percent) worry about the negative effects of social media on their physical and mental health. Millennials also report the highest stress level related to technology (3.2, compared to 2.5 for Gen Xers, 2.4 for Boomers and 2.0 for Matures).

I'm part of Gen Z and I would say I'm mostly comfortable with technology but I don't feel as though social media helped me find my identity. I do worry about the negative effects it has on my physical and mental health, and I am indeed constantly very stressed.