A decade after the emergence of smartphones, Facebook and Twitter, more than four out of five adults in the U.S. (86 percent) report that they constantly or often check their email, texts and social media accounts, according to part two of the American Psychological Association’s (APA) report "Stress in America™: Coping with Change" released today. This attachment to devices and the constant use of technology is associated with higher stress levels for these Americans.
This excessive technology and social media use has paved the way for the “constant checker” — those who check their email, texts and social media accounts on a constant basis. The survey found that stress runs higher, on average, for constant checkers than for those who do not engage with technology as frequently. On a 10-point scale, where one is “little or no stress” and 10 is “a great deal of stress,” the average reported overall stress level for constant checkers is 5.3, compared with 4.4 for those who don’t check as frequently. Among employed Americans who check their work email constantly on their days off, their reported overall stress level is even higher, at 6.0.