Social representations of work mediated by information and communication technologies according to the level of technostress in university teachers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.rfnsp.e360621Keywords:
COVID-19, social representations, mental health, technostress, information and communication technologies, teaching workAbstract
Objective: To understand the social representations of work mediated by information and communication technologies in relation to the level of technostress experienced by Colombian university professors during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Methods: A mixed-methods study with a parallel convergent design was conducted. Two instruments were administered: the Technostress Questionnaire for University Professors and the free word association technique. These instruments were administered to 895 professors in Colombia between May and August 2021. Professors were selected through a randomized application process and received the instruments and informed consent forms electronically. Abric's structural model was used to analyze the social representations.
Results: 20% of the professors experienced technostress, 53% showed a predisposition to it, and 27% showed signs of being affected. Social representations varied according to the level of technostress: those who experienced it tended to associate information and communication technologies with overload, stress, and technical difficulty, while those who did not highlight innovation, productivity, and opportunity. The predisposed group reflected ambivalence between demands and growth.
Conclusions: Technostress, in addition to being seen as a psychophysiological phenomenon, also involves a representational dimension, through which meanings and attitudes attributed to technology-mediated work are interpreted and structured. The teaching population is predisposed to technostress, revealing a broad vulnerability that can evolve into a confirmed state of mental health impairment if the risks are not managed. Therefore, it is necessary for institutions to implement strategies focused on digital well-being, promote the right to disconnect, and strengthen teachers' technological skills.
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