Digital Overload among College Students: Implications for Mental Health App Use

Arielle C. Smith, Lauren A. Fowler, Andrea K. Graham, Beth K. Jaworski, Marie-Laure Firebaugh, Grace E. Monterubio, Melissa M. Vázquez, Bianca DePietro, Shiri Sadeh-Sharvit, Katherine N. Balantekin, Naira Topooco, Denise E. Wilfley, C. Barr Taylor and Ellen E. Fitzsimmons-Craft
Additional contact information
Arielle C. Smith: Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
Lauren A. Fowler: Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
Andrea K. Graham: Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
Beth K. Jaworski: National Center for PTSD, Dissemination and Training Division, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
Marie-Laure Firebaugh: Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
Grace E. Monterubio: Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
Melissa M. Vázquez: Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
Bianca DePietro: Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
Shiri Sadeh-Sharvit: Center for m 2 Health, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
Katherine N. Balantekin: Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA
Naira Topooco: Center for m 2 Health, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
Denise E. Wilfley: Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
C. Barr Taylor: Center for m 2 Health, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
Ellen E. Fitzsimmons-Craft: Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA

Social Sciences, 2021, vol. 10, issue 8, 1-15

Abstract: Mental health phone applications (apps) provide cost-effective, easily accessible support for college students, yet long-term engagement is often low. Digital overload, defined as information burden from technological devices, may contribute to disengagement from mental health apps. This study aimed to explore the influence of digital overload and phone use preferences on mental health app use among college students, with the goal of informing how notifications could be designed to improve engagement in mental health apps for this population. A semi-structured interview guide was developed to collect quantitative data on phone use and notifications as well as qualitative data on digital overload and preferences for notifications and phone use. Interview transcripts from 12 college students were analyzed using thematic analysis. Participants had high daily phone use and received large quantities of notifications. They employed organization and management strategies to filter information and mitigate the negative effects of digital overload. Digital overload was not cited as a primary barrier to mental health app engagement, but participants ignored notifications for other reasons. Findings suggest that adding notifications to mental health apps may not substantially improve engagement unless additional factors are considered, such as users’ motivation and preferences.

Keywords: digital overload; mHealth; college students; treatment; mental health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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