Boodschapfatigue

Boodschapfatigue is the fatigue or exhaustion that arises from persistent exposure to messages and notifications across multiple communication channels. The term, used in Dutch-language discussions and some studies, characterizes a form of information overload that specifically concerns messages such as emails, chats, push alerts, and newsletters. It is related to, but distinct from, general information overload, focusing on the fatigue tied to ongoing messaging interactions.

Boodschapfatigue commonly affects both individuals and organizations. It can occur in personal life, workplaces, educational environments, and consumer-facing contexts where people receive high volumes of messages through several platforms. The phenomenon is often discussed in the context of digital wellbeing and workplace productivity.

Symptoms include a reduced motivation to respond, missed or delayed replies, cognitive fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and sometimes sleep or mood disturbances. People may feel overwhelmed by the constant influx of messages, experience decision fatigue, or hesitate to engage with important information.

Causes include high message volume, frequent interruptions, expectations of immediate replies, channel fragmentation across email, chat, and social apps, and cultures that reward rapid responses. Low-quality or irrelevant messages and unclear norms about replying can amplify the effect.

Consequences can include lower productivity, increased stress and burnout risk, diminished satisfaction with digital communication, and poorer engagement with important messages. In organizational settings, it can hamper decision-making and collaboration.

Mitigation strategies operate at both individual and organizational levels. Individuals can tailor notification settings, use focus or do-not-disturb modes, batch processing of messages, establish response schedules, and prioritize communications. Organizations can adopt clearer communication policies, encourage asynchronous workflows, reduce non-essential messaging, improve message clarity with concise subject lines or summaries, and respect designated response times. Boodschapfatigue is an area of ongoing research related to information overload, notification fatigue, and digital wellbeing.