The Technostress: definition, symptoms and risk prevention

With the advent of Web 2.0 and Social media, a radical change in the world of communication and information flows has occurred, that have crossed space and time limits. The new technology, with its rapid evolution marked by the access to the digital world through the Smartphone invention, resulted in a sharp acceleration of the rhythms of life and work. On the other hand a massive pervasiveness of digital technology in the professional and personal rhythms has been recorded. Technostress, defined for the first time in 1984, is a syndrome that occurs when the person, subjected to information overload and continuous contact with most digital devices, develops a state of stress, or an abnormal response characterized by specific symptoms at the cardiocirculatory, mental and neurological levels. The repercussions of Technostress invest business and relational sphere causing absenteeism, loss of professional effectiveness, conflict and isolation. In 2007, the syndrome has been recognized as an occupational disease: this requires that in all workplace where a frequently use of digital technologies (ICT, publishing etc.) does exist, there is the needto include Technostress in the document of work-related risk assessment. This application is essential to put in place adequate protection and prevention measures, such as increased training of employees on the harmful effect of Technostress and implementation of specific strategies for managing symptoms.