With technological advancement, humanity entered a new era of work environment, filled with smart devices, social media, and instant messaging that affects workers’ lives. However, how does this mix really affect people’s work and mental health? The answer is not something that many would like to know. Relying on the use of social media at work or overreaching the boundaries of time spent on social networks can cause significant drawbacks in a worker’s personal and work life. Social, informational, and physical overload and tiredness impact work relationships and task completion, which in turn jeopardize any upcoming promotion and career advancement.
Nowadays, most jobs require some use of social media and smart devices; some positions revolve purely around digital communication and technology. It is something that is unavoidable in this day and age. However, the problems start when people misuse such helpful appliances, typically by spending an excessive amount of time on social media at work. Such neglect of limitations is almost never free of consequences.
Overload
Excessive use of social media causes informational and communicational overload. This reaction to the overstimulation of the brain further results in stress and exhaustion (Yu et al., 2018). A tired worker not focused on the task is always a loss for the company, but such a state is also a drawback for the person’s career and mental health (Yu et al., 2018). Putting effort into fulfilling one’s job responsibilities always leaves one tired, but so does social media (Yu et al., 2018). Although scrolling the net and chatting online does not complete the tasks, it does significantly add to the overall fatigue, as well as slow the work process. In the end, an employee is tired nonetheless and has to deal with piled-up chores and missed deadlines. Such a pitfall deranges one’s work-life balance and delays any future promotions.
Social Exhaustion
Most jobs are built around internal or external communication, and, with the introduction of fast pace messaging via social media, there are more channels and opportunities for contact. Being a part of a job, communication is by itself tiresome; however, excessive use of social media during work hours adds extra layers to a worker’s emotional capabilities to handle (Yu et al., 2018). Communicational and emotional overload is a common side-effect of excessive social media use (Yu et al., 2018). Such effects can lead to the disruption of work relationships and cause unnecessary conflicts and misunderstandings (Van Zoonen & Rice, 2017). Additionally, aside from causing the social exhaustion, contacting a business partner online is not advised as it may leave a bad impression on the interlocutor. Processing social requests via smart devices might seem easier than face-to-face, but it would never replace the real connection people have when they meet each other. Relying on messaging excessively is a sure way to prevent relationship forming and facilitate the reduction of social energy.
Decreased Job Performance
Lastly, deliberately choosing to spend time online instead of working or trying to find shortcuts to complete job tasks via social media use significantly jeopardizes job performance. With the factors mentioned above, social and informational exhaustion, it is not a surprise that one’s productivity starts noticeably lacking when social media is misused during work hours. It is also proven that despite such positives as organizational and entertainment benefits of implementing social networks into work, job performance is negatively affected by excessive use of such (Yu et al., 2018). Physical tiredness, burnout, overload, and social fatigue exhaust any cognitive and emotional resources a worker has during the day (Yu et al., 2018). In turn, it reduces the chance of accomplishing work-related goals and meeting the required deadlines (Yu et al., 2018). Indeed, scrolling through social media is not as important as a career, yet so many people continue to make this mistake. It is vital to recognize such unhealthy behavior patterns and eradicate any excessive time spent on a smart device to stay productive, improve work-life balance, and continue scaling the career ladder.
Conclusion
Misuse and excessive use of social media platforms at work results in the informational, emotional, and communicational overload that compromises workers’ job performance, mental health, and career advancement. Dedicating work hours to endless scrolling of social networks not only delays the completion of tasks but also contributes to overall exhaustion. Messaging on social media and relocating relationships to the online substitute overtires the emotional and communicational resources of an employee and disrupts the work environment. Lastly, all of that decelerates career accomplishments and lowers general job performance and productivity. Many workers and companies have much to lose when such problems are not recognized. It is vital to prevent the deterioration of the situation and implement preventative measures to stop the misuse of social media at work. For that purpose, some organizations utilize firewalls or private nets that control and limit internet use at the office. However, it is as important to address the issue by educating the staff on the drawbacks of overusing their smart devices by providing informative meetings with supporting statistics.
References
Van Zoonen, W., & Rice, R. E. (2017). Paradoxical implications of personal social media use for work. Work and Employment, 32(3), 228-246.
Yu, L., Cao, X., Liu, Z., & Wang, J. (2018). Excessive social media use at work: Exploring the effects of social media overload on job performance. Information Technology & People, 31(6).