You open your phone to check the time; but, ten minutes later, you’re scrolling through endless channels, shrugging your shoulders, unable to find what you’re looking for. Or, you see a small red icon in the application and feel a slight drop in your stomach before opening the application. Moments like this seem trivial and are easily dismissed. However, the constant noise of anxiety surrounding our electronic devices deserves your attention.
Most people are in a constant state of communication through messages, notifications and/or expecting an immediate response to each message. As soon as you begin to realize the constant expectations of your devices, both online and offline, you will understand the term “digital anxiety”. Digital anxiety refers to anxiety or feelings of dread associated with our online interactions, including but not limited to notifications, group chats, and/or email inboxes that are endlessly proliferating. Digital anxiety is neither a lack of technical skills nor a display of poor decision-making skills. Rather, it’s a normal human response to constant requests for your attention.
Digital anxiety is often overlooked. It is usually internalized as part of your daily behavior and therefore you may not immediately associate the behaviors with your digital anxiety. Recognizing the patterns of digital anxiety is the first step to becoming more resilient, and I’m happy to report that recognizing it doesn’t require any special resources. All that is required is that you follow carefully.
Many people feel a high level of stress related to their online communication through their email. When you log into your email account, you feel a wave of dread and then close the app without reviewing a single message. Your number of unread messages increases, as does the level of guilt you feel from avoiding these interactions. Many people develop their internal cycles in relation to their unread messages. Some students may also experience high levels of discomfort due to various forms of attention deficit disorder. Identifying patterns behind a fear of email can provide clarity for readers who want to understand how their attention span interacts with the large volume of messages received via e-mail.
Quiet signals are built into your daily routines
Your anxiety may manifest as anxiety before you are able to recognize it. There are several times during the day that you may repeatedly check the same program without identifying the reasons for your actions. Alternatively, you can draft an answer, delete it, rewrite it, and remain undefined. Other people may keep dozens of programs open in multiple browsers because they see closing browsers as giving up control. Conversely, others may avoid using certain applications altogether and let their messages pile up until the thought of responding to them creates senseless mental anguish.
Whether these individual habits are important individually or collectively, they create identifiable patterns. Your dependence on your mobile device becomes a common reflexive action based on anxious anticipation, and the perceived need to connect with the world outside your immediate environment results in a decrease in return relative to the amount of energy expended.
Patterns are displayed physically and emotionally
The stress caused by the screen activity does not stay in your thoughts. Usually, it is manifested physiologically. Examples include holding your breath while processing messages or developing a habitually pursed mouth when receiving work-related notifications during off-hours. Another indicator of potential anxiety related to screen activities includes sleep disturbances. Many people experience this phenomenon as they scroll through their mobile device(s) late into the night and end up lying awake with a busy mind.
There is research-based evidence to support the notion that excessive/compulsive engagement in digital media correlates with increased stress levels. Studies examining adolescents diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), for example, have shown associations between problematic Internet use and higher social anxiety scores and lower general mood scores. While this study specifically examines adolescents with ADHD, it supports the intuitive experience of many people: when we form intense relationships with our screen technologies, our emotional stability and sleep quality are also affected.
Reasons for the formation of these models
Helpfully, it is important to recognize that no one develops these types of patterns because they are weak-willed. Apps are built to engage users, and modern society often rewards users for always being available. Furthermore, community expectations for users to respond to requests; to be aware of current events; and constantly in constant conversation contributes to turning what was once considered a useful resource into a source of pressure.
Another factor that contributes to the development of these forms is attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD). Individuals currently experiencing symptoms of ADD/ADHD are able to simultaneously use greater portions of their cognitive abilities than non-symptomatic individuals. Therefore, it is likely that symptomatic individuals will experience significantly higher levels of anxiety than non-symptomatic individuals when receiving large amounts of e-mail or notifications (eg, instant messaging apps). Each unread item requires an additional cognitive loop for the user to process and solve the problem. Cognitive loops are exhausting. By acknowledging this aspect of your experience with technology, you can reduce your self-criticism about your digital literacy skills and replace it with the understanding that you’re simply overwhelmed by the sheer volume of demands placed on you.
Simple ways to identify your own patterns
Awareness is necessary for positive change; however, it doesn’t require major changes to your entire digital existence. Awareness can initiate small steps forward. For a few days, keep track of the times you reach for your phone without deciding what you want to do with it. Observe how you felt before and after reaching. Writing down a brief description of your findings on paper or on your phone will allow you to discover patterns that would have been missed if you had continued to ignore them.
One way to maintain awareness is to track only one behavior at a time. For example, you may notice how often you access a company-provided email account outside of business hours; or how your body feels after sleeping for an hour if you immediately access your mobile device.
Observations made about small aspects of your behavior are more practical than broad statements about your digital habits. In addition, it is much easier to maintain small observations.
Identify areas of potential structure
As you recognize your patterns, many small adjustments will naturally occur. Many people have set times to respond to messages rather than being available all day. Others remove stressful apps from their main display area, disable unnecessary notifications, or avoid placing their phones near their bed while sleeping. The goal is not to be completely disconnected from technology; rather, it’s to put some distance between you and the ongoing game that allows you to control your focus.
Don’t try to make drastic changes all at once. Start by doing one quiet hour a day (for example, one hour in the evening); or check your inbox before eating breakfast in the morning. A quiet hour or clearing your inbox before eating breakfast can have a positive effect on the rest of your day.
Progress toward reducing the stress generated by screen use is rarely the result of discipline. Positive progress occurs when you design your daily routines in such a way that they require less of your nerves.
Acknowledging stress caused by screen use is not intended to create an additional source of concern. Acknowledging the stress caused by screen use can help you focus on what has happened so far, allowing you to be kinder to yourself. When you acknowledge your feelings about your screen use, most people find that acknowledging their feelings reduces the negative effects of those feelings. Ultimately, small, consistent decisions about technology help create a relaxed relationship with technology that becomes a daily habit rather than a goal of achieving balance in life.
Security disclaimer
If you or someone you love is in crisis, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. You can also call or text 988 or chat through 988lifeline.org to reach a suicide or life crisis. Support is free, confidential and available 24/7.
Author Bio
Earl Wagner is a health content strategy focused on behavioral systems, clinical communication, and health information.
Sources
- Ozgur Onder Demirtash. (2021). Depression and ongoing social anxiety are associated with problematic internet use in adolescents with ADHD: a cross-sectional study. Mental health of children and adolescents. https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12440
- Hyang Ding. (2023). The association between problematic internet use and social anxiety among adolescents and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Public Health. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1275723
- Masaya Morita. (2021). Bidirectional relationship of problematic internet use with hyperactivity/inattention and depressive symptoms in adolescents: a population-based cohort study. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-021-01808-4
- Katarina Leo. (2021). Depression and social anxiety predict symptoms of Internet use disorder in children and adolescents at 12-month follow-up: Results of a longitudinal study. Frontiers in psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.787162
- Irati Beserril-Atxikallende. (2025). Problematic internet use and psychological distress in high school students. Health care. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13243231
- MJ Kater. (2020). Smartphone use in adolescents – causes and relation to sleep disturbance, stress and sleep reactivity. Somnology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11818-020-00272-7
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