It’s hard these days to find people who aren't checking their cellphones constantly, and while you may not see the harm in being so connected, it could actually be stressing you out.
According to a new survey, 86% of people say they either constantly or often check their email, texts and social media accounts, and a new report by the American Psychological Association suggests all those people could be dealing with higher stress levels than those who don’t.
On a scale of one to ten, where a one is “little or no stress” and a ten is “a great deal of stress,” so-called “constant checkers” reported an average stress level of 5.3, as compared to those who aren’t frequent checkers, who had a 4.4 stress level. Add work into it and the stress levels are even higher, with workers who constantly check their email, even on their days off, reporting a stress level at 6.0.
Not surprisingly, social media is also having a huge effect on folks' stress. The survey finds that 42% of constant checkers say political and cultural discussions on social media have left them stressed, with only 33% of non-checkers agreeing. Meanwhile 42% of them are concerned about the negative effects social media has on their physical and mental health, while only 27% of those who don’t frequently check their accounts say the same.
All this stress is making people realize that they should try and disconnect at least somewhat, although whether they do it is another story. In fact, 65% of people agree that taking a “digital detox” is important for their mental health, unfortunately only 28% of people actually do it