Burned In, Burned Out: The Cost of Constant Connectivity
Digital Burnout - By Emerald Young
We live in an age where one single tap can link us to anyone across the globe, one quick search leads to over a million results, and one post can live online forever. Yet despite this unparallelled connection with the rest of the world, people are feeling more isolated, disconnected, and overwhelmed than ever.
From back-to-back Zoom or Teams meetings for work, to doom-scrolling on TikTok for hours, or the relentless 24/7 news cycle flooding our screens with the rush of headlines: Another natural disaster. Inflation rising again. Another species going extinct. It’s easy to feel helpless in a world where everything seems to be going wrong. So, are the digital tools that are supposed to be helping us, making it worse?
What is Digital Burnout and What are its Effects?
Digital Burnout is a state in which individuals may experience physical, psychological, and social problems due to excessive usage of digital sources. COVID-19 lockdowns exacerbated online usage as the world became dependent on the digital world to keeping connections with others.
Digital burnout goes beyond just feeling tired – it can have major impacts on our mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. All this constant connectivity and information overload can lead to increased levels of stress, anxiety, and levels of burnout.
While digital platforms can be a great way of staying up-to-date with what’s happening around the world, and people in your life, it can create this pressure to always be readily available which can remove the “down-time” previously available, blurring those lines between work, social, and personal. This constant need to keep up with an online presence, while silently comparing ourselves to filtered snapshots of others’ lives, feeds a cycle of self-doubt and low self-worth. Furthermore, mass amounts of information no-one can keep up with can feel bombarding and exhausting.
On a physical level, endless screen time can lead to headaches, dry eyes, neck and back pain, and disrupted sleep—especially from blue light exposure that interferes with our circadian rhythms. These effects are often invisible but cumulative, making it harder to recharge.
Despite digital tools designed to keep us connected, it can ironically end up draining the energy we need for building authentic relationships, creating emotional exhaustion and withdrawing from loved ones or struggle to stay present in real-life interactions. As psychologist Steven Stosny notes, repeated news exposure and digital stimulation can erode our resilience, increase feelings of helplessness, and even mimic addiction—where smartphones act as dopamine-triggering devices we can’t help but reach for, even when they’re harming us.
How Can We Overcome Digital Burnout?
In times where you are overwhelmed or stressed, our instinct may be to shut everything out – to ignore the news, turn on Do Not Disturb and retreat to our own little bubble. But rather than checking out, it’s often more helpful to strategically stay checked in. Overcoming digital burnout doesn’t mean unplugging forever; it means accepting you cannot do everything, and learning how to engage with digital spaces in a way that feels healthy and intentional. Here are some things you can try to regain that control:
1. Set Boundaries: This may look like designating offline hours each day to disconnect from all screens—especially before bed; or establishing tech-free zones at home (like the dinner table or your bedroom) to create separation between digital and real life.
2. Declutter Your Digital Space: Not all content deserves your attention. Before opening an app or news site, ask yourself: “Do I really need this right now?” This moment of mindfulness can disrupt the compulsion to scroll. Use a 15-minute timer when checking social media to limit how long you’re exposed to overwhelming content. You can also unfollow any accounts, unsubscribe from emails and notifications that don’t bring any value.
3. Touch Some Grass: Rebalance your life by re-engaging with the world beyond the screen: Take up an offline hobby—cooking, painting, or going on walks. Read a physical newspaper or book instead of browsing endless headlines. You’ll find yourself more focused, and less reactive. Plan screen-free days (or even just mornings) to rest, reflect, and reconnect with yourself and others.
4. Taking Action: If news stories are making you feel hopeless, try becoming an active participant instead of a passive observer. Stressed by social issues? Volunteer, continue educating yourself and others, sign petitions. Taking action can ground your anxiety in purpose and help you feel less powerless.
5. Reach Out: If something feels threatening or overwhelming, it can help to develop an action plan: Ask yourself: What would I do in an emergency? Who could help me? Write down a list of people in your support network—not just family, but friends, neighbours, teachers, even local services. Knowing that you’re not alone can make a huge difference in how you emotionally process distressing information.
Overcoming digital burnout doesn’t mean rejecting technology altogether, rather it’s about learning to regain control. With small, intentional steps, we can engage with the digital world in ways that serve us, rather than drain us. And in doing so, we’ll be better equipped to respond to challenges—not with panic, but with presence.
Bibliography:
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da Silva, F.P., Jerónimo, H.M., Henriques, P.L., & Ribeiro, J. (2024). Impact of digital burnout on the use of digital consumer platforms. Technological Forecasting & Social Change, 200, 123172–123172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.123172
Devi, K. A., & Singh, S. D. (2023). The Hazards of Excessive Screen time: Impacts on Physical health, Mental health, and Overall well-being. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_447_23
Huff, C. (2022). Media overload is hurting our mental health. Here are ways to manage headline stress. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/11/strain-media-overload
Knight, R. (2025, January 14). How to Keep Up with the News Without Getting Overwhelmed. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2025/01/how-to-keep-up-with-the-news-without-getting-overwhelmed