Abstract
This study analyses the emotional exhaustion of students inhigher education, derived from the extremely technology-relatedstrain associated to the current COVID-19 pandemic in a conservation of resources’ approach. Technostress, as source of emotional exhaustion, was investigated in a sample of 333 students in a medium size public university in Spain. Data was collected in May 2020, during the COVID lockdown. After literature review, a structural model was developed, linking technostress with emotional exhaustion. Results confirm the expected cause-effect relationships. In addition, the study reveals two mediator variables that must be considered when managing students′ suffering, perceived stress and intrapersonal conflicts. This study contributes to the academic literature in the field of managing and mitigating suffering. They do so by providing both new knowledge and empirical evidence on the effects of technostress in the new generations that will soon join the working life.
Highlights
There are numerous positive aspects that can be highlighted in the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in both the personal and the occupational sphere
Based on Conservation of Resources theory (COR) theory, we argue that students put up with technostress in COVID times as they feel resource deficiencies and losses in their new normality, flowing into emotional exhaustion
This study contributes to the academic literature in the field of managing and mitigating suffering in the new generations that will soon join the working life
Summary
There are numerous positive aspects that can be highlighted in the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in both the personal and the occupational sphere They can generate new psychosocial risks which cause suffering. It is especially interesting to address specific studies on the impact that the use of ICT in university students has, especially considering that these students will be the new cohorts of qualified employees in the near future. They count with a more integrated use of ICT in their daily lives and needing to use them to carry out their educational activities. This way, both their actions, and decisions made during this period of time can have lasting ramifications, making their consequences more relevant than for other groups
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