Digital interactions in businesses have seen a rapid surge in recent years, especially since the pandemic. They have led to significant productivity gains and introduced new norms, such as the widespread adoption of remote work. However, on the flip side, they are also responsible for information overload. A unique study by the Observatory of Infobesity and Digital Collaboration (OICN) has documented this phenomenon, which is a vector of psychosocial risks and burnout.
Even though this study was conducted in France, its findings can easily be replicated elsewhere in the world. It is based on an analysis of 1.7 million metadata from meetings and 58 million metadata from emails involving 9,000 individuals. The result?
The infobesity felt by employees is not only due to digital tools themselves but also how they are used in businesses. The latest wave of collaborative digital tools, introduced in organizations following the health crisis and the mass adoption of remote work, has added to pre-existing tools, creating a layered effect that multiplies information and communication channels. This layered communication leads to a rebound in the number of messages and constant channel-switching, which fragments and crumbles work activity. This results in a feeling of work densification and cognitive overload, detrimental to work quality and workers’ mental health,” comments Suzy Canivenc, Researcher at the Chair of the Future of Industry and Work (Mines Paris PSL).
Let’s take a closer look at some pitfalls to be wary of:
- Hyper-connectivity
Despite the right to disconnect, many people remain “connected” to their work even after office hours. The study found that executives spend 117 evenings reconnected per year (sending at least one email after 8 pm). Nearly a third of employees are hyper-connected (more than 50 evenings reconnected per year).
The advice? Use delayed sending features or promote digital leadership by example.
- Digital Strain
On average, we receive 144 emails per week. This number exceeds 300 for executives. Moreover, three-quarters cannot process all their emails daily. An evident factor of burnout, especially if correlated with hyper-reactivity to respond. On average, half of the received emails are answered within an hour! From an asynchronous communication tool, email becomes a way to exchange instantly.
Consequences: an increase in digital noise due to overlapping responses, a decline in conversational quality, and a constant sense of urgency causing stress and anxiety.
“When an exchange exceeds three responses, email is not the most suitable tool for effective collaboration,” the study points out.
- Full Concentration
A corollary to the previous point: emails, instant messages, or notifications generate almost continuous overstimulation. 7 out of 10 people interrupt their task when a notification appears.
The problem: according to the study, it takes at least 30 minutes without interruption for the brain to be at its maximum capacity. In other words, intense work periods (deep work) are gradually disappearing, and multiple re-concentration efforts lead to increasing cognitive fatigue.
- Meeting Overload
This is one of the most well-known concepts when it comes to information overload: too many meetings. On average, employees spend between 4 and 6.5 hours in meetings per week. A surprising fact from the study (and indicative of this issue): only 42.7% of meetings are accepted! 30.6% remain… unanswered.
Another related challenge is the meeting tunnel: 9.1% of managers’ meetings (organized or accepted) are back-to-back, leaving no breathing space. A practical tip that’s easy to implement? By default, organize meetings for 25 minutes or 55 minutes to allow a potential buffer period.
