How app fatigue is taking its toll on workers

Long gone are the days when email and phone calls were the only form of communication between workers. Now, there’s a different app for everything - we have calls on Teams and Zoom, Slack for instant messaging, Trello and Asana for organising, a few messy Excel and Google spreadsheets and countless apps that claim to boost productivity and collaboration.

With more people working remotely or hybrid, apps can be a helpful way to stay in touch and get things done. But having to switch between multiple applications can take its toll on workers, so much so that it has a name: app fatigue.

App fatigue refers to the sense of overwhelm that people experience from managing too many applications. It’s the feeling of being pulled in different directions at the same time.

For example, when your phone is pinging with messages across different Slack channels, you’re in back-to-back meetings, and you’re required to check three virtual ‘notice boards’ to keep on top of your projects. Not only is it exhausting, but research suggests it’s unproductive, too.

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A study conducted by researchers at three Fortune 500 companies revealed that employees spend a significant amount of time toggling between different apps and websites, resulting in a loss of focus and efficiency.

This is because humans aren’t really designed to multitask. Although we may feel like we’re being productive, having lots of apps to think about at once divides our attention in a way that ultimately reduces performance.

“Switching between workplace apps can significantly impact workers because our brains aren't wired to handle constant shifts in focus,” says Dr Elena Touroni, a consultant psychologist and co-founder of The Chelsea Psychology Clinic.

“Every time you switch from one app to another – say, from email to Slack to Zoom – your brain needs time to adjust to the new task. This transition, known as ‘task switching’, can disrupt your workflow, making it harder to stay focused and get things done. It’s a key reason why multitasking often feels so exhausting. Our brains simply can’t handle doing multiple things at once as efficiently as we might hope.”

It takes longer than we think for our brains to switch between different sources of information. On average, workers waste around four hours per week reorienting themselves after each app switch because we have to disconnect from the previous app, open another, absorb the new information and respond appropriately.

Often, we try to do this across different platforms at the same time. It requires a level of focus that we simply do not have, because we can only truly multitask when one activity requires a very low level of focus, like when we walk and talk. So when we try to fully concentrate on several apps at once – and keep getting distracted by messages and emails – it can lead to information overload, stress and anxiety.

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“The constant need to shift attention can create a sense of overwhelm, as you struggle to keep up with the demands of each platform,” says Touroni. “This can make it difficult to maintain a clear focus, leaving you feeling scattered and less productive. Over time, this can contribute to feelings of burnout, especially when you’re expected to be constantly ‘on’ across multiple channels.”

App switching can also leave workers prone to making errors. Introducing new software means people have to learn how to use it effectively, which takes time. And when we’re sending information across different channels, it’s easy for it to be missed or sent to the wrong person, especially when we are feeling rushed and overwhelmed.

Psychologists suggest a concept called ‘attention residue’ may affect the quality of our work when we’re constantly shifting our attention to different apps. This is because we are still thinking of a previous task as we start the next one – even if the first is completed – so the quality of the second task suffers.

The problem is that it’s tempting for employers to keep piling apps on employees. Every app sells itself as a way to solve common workplace problems and make workers more productive, but this isn’t necessarily the case. Instead, Touroni says, it’s better to streamline communication to just one or two essential apps.

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“Encouraging the use of a single, integrated platform for most tasks can help minimise distractions and keep everyone on the same page,” she advises.

Before introducing a new app, employers should think about what problems they are trying to overcome and whether the technology will actually address it. If there’s already a virtual meeting platform in use, why change it? It may seem more competitive to use the latest apps, but it’s only beneficial if people are comfortable using it.

Putting boundaries in place around replying to messages is also key. “It’s also important for employers to set clear expectations around response times, so employees don’t feel pressured to be immediately available on multiple apps at once,” adds Touroni.

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