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Fatigue, boredom and objectively measured smartphone use at work
Jonas Dora1, Madelon van Hooff1, Sabine Geurts1
1Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Royal Society Open Science
|July 23, 2021
Summary
People often use smartphones at work, switching between labor and leisure. This study found that while fatigue and boredom increase smartphone use, using the phone surprisingly increased fatigue and boredom afterward.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Organizational Behavior
Background:
- Smartphone use during work hours is common, representing a labor vs. leisure decision.
- Motivational models suggest fatigue and boredom drive task disengagement and leisure seeking.
- The bidirectional relationship between smartphone use and fatigue/boredom at work remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between fatigue, boredom, and smartphone use during work.
- To examine if fatigue and boredom predict smartphone engagement.
- To determine if smartphone use influences subsequent fatigue and boredom levels.
Main Methods:
- 83 PhD candidates participated in the study.
- Hourly self-reports of fatigue and boredom levels were collected.
- Continuous logging of smartphone usage via an application was performed.
Main Results:
- Higher levels of fatigue and boredom were associated with increased likelihood of smartphone interaction.
- The duration of smartphone use was not significantly longer when participants felt more fatigued or bored.
- Participants reported increased fatigue and boredom after engaging in smartphone use.
Conclusions:
- Fatigue and boredom are temporally linked to task disengagement and smartphone breaks.
- Taking smartphone breaks at work may incur phenomenological costs, increasing fatigue and boredom.
- Further research is needed to fully understand the implications of smartphone use on work-related well-being.
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