Preventing stress through smartphone usage

Abstract

Originating from the concept constant connectivity, a number of state of the art aspects can be seen. Constant connectivity itself implies that a person, as a consequence of information technology devices, always is available, reachable and able to process information. However, certain side effects of this phenomenon have been identified. Research have concluded that constant connectivity leads to negative health effects such as stress, insomnia and symptoms of depression. As the number of devices contributing to this exposure increases, the identified problems are becoming gradually more relevant. As these devices are becoming important tools in one’s working life, it is interesting to investigate whether the usage of these devices to any extent can prevent negative health effects as well. This thesis looks into that matter, guided by the question: To what extent do IT consultants, employed by small to medium-sized companies, circumvent stress due to usage of smartphone techniques? To answer the question at issue, six semi-structured interviews based on theories of stress, job environment, smartphone technologies and communication were conducted with IT consultants. The information gathered from the interviews, were analysed and transformed into patterns, answering the question. The main findings were that smartphone usage definitely can cause stress, but at the same time function as means to prevent stress. By active and passive approaches to prevent stress the IT consultants interviewed have adopted beneficial ways to handle their smartphones. Active approaches, as the definition implies, are usage patterns that to a greater extent are individualised by a specific consultant – such as different ways of multitasking with the smartphone. Passive approaches, on the other hand, are patterns that are more general and static for the whole study population. Passive approaches are, for example, about how to leverage availability and constant connectivity as a means to avoid stress.