Technological characteristics and stressors leading to behavioral strains associated with technostress among youth in Kenya

Abstract

The development and advancement of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Kenya has profoundly impacted people’s lives, affecting how they work, communicate and even interact. The evolution of technology and the popularization of different devices and applications have led to rapid changes in the exposure profiles of the population at work, school, home and leisure in just a few decades. It is, therefore, important to examine the potential health effects of this exposure. This paper focuses on the possible negative impact of ICT use on young adults in Kenya. A literature review suggests that technology characteristics such as ease of use, complexity of use, constant connectivity, anonymity, mobility, and dynamism contribute significantly to creating behavioural stress that leads to technostress. Data were collected through a questionnaire from a sample of 112 students aged 18-30 years in eight institutions in Kenya. A correlation analysis was then conducted using SPSS quantitative analysis software. The results show that stressors such as work intensification and overload, information overload, technological invasion, technological complexity, technological uncertainty and conflicts between work, society, home or school are also contributing factors in creating behavioural tensions associated with technostress among ICT users. Furthermore, behavioural tensions associated with technostress are prevalent. The findings of this study have implications for both research and practice. It opens up further avenues of research by showing that ICT is a growing source of technostress in developing countries like Kenya. The study also mentions several inhibitors that can be further explored as possible remedial measures for technostress.