Technostress and Aging Workforce: Scoping Review of Reviews

Simranpreet Kaur

Co-Presenters: Individual Presentation

College: Hennings College of Science Mathematics and Technology

Major: BA.BIOLOGY

Faculty Research Mentor: Bishnoi, Alka  

Abstract:

The rapid growth of digital technologies has changed how older adults work, communicate, and manage daily life. While technology offers many benefits, such as improved access to health services, social connections, and independent living, it has also created new challenges. Technostress, stress and discomfort resulting from using digital technologies, is a major challenge. Older adults are at risk of technostress because of their age-related physical changes, lack of digital technology skills, complexity of digital systems, and changes resulting from updates to digital technologies.This integrative review aims to clarify how technostress affects older adults, factors that influence technostress development, and technostress effects on older adults’ health and living. The literature comprises systematic reviews, scoping reviews, and research studies that explore technostress among older adults in occupational settings, healthcare settings, and living settings. The literature indicates that technostress among older adults arises from information overload, permanent connectivity, fear of making mistakes, fear of privacy, lack of training, and poorly designed digital systems.The findings suggest that technostress among older adults is positively correlated with increased levels of anxiety, fatigue, sleep problems, decreased job satisfaction, decreased productivity, and avoidance of technology use. On the other hand, the literature also supports that technostress can be minimized through supportive environments, user-friendly design, digital literacy education, and organizational support. Technologies that are simple and flexible are more likely to increase self-efficacy among older adults.Overall, this review emphasizes the importance of technology design and targeted support strategies to reduce technostress in older adults. These findings emphasize the requirement for healthcare providers, designers, educators, and organizations to develop accessible technologies, offer suitable training, and establish encouraging environment that helps older adults to use digital tools confidently. These initiatives can be effective to improve the quality of life, increase technology use, and promote healthy aging in a technologically advanced world.