Women more likely to experience digital overload due to work-family demands

When it comes to juggling using digital technology for both work and family, women are at greater risk than men of 'digital overload', according to new research led by Lancaster University. The study, which has important implications for the unequal gender division of digital labor, highlights that women are more likely than men to frequently use information and communication technologies (ICT) in both work and family lives. This work-family 'digital double burden' heightens the potential risk of 'digital overload and burnout' for women.

The new research, led by Professor Yang Hu, of Lancaster University, working with Professor Yue Qian from the University of British Columbia in Canada, examines gender and digital labor across 29 countries and is published in the journal 'Community, Work & Family'. Digital labor involves the use of a diverse range of digital tools and platforms, such as Zoom and WhatsApp, for completing everyday work and domestic tasks. As the pandemic considerably accelerated the progress of digitalization, people increasingly and widely use ICT for work and family communication post-COVID-19.

As frequent ICT use takes time and effort, it constitutes a new form of labor. Our study examined gender inequalities in the performance of such digital labor." Yang Hu, Professor, Lancaster University The cross-national study uses the latest data from the European Social Survey and looks at how people maintain digital communication for work and family across 29 countr.