WTF is ‘digital debt’ and can AI help fix it?

The lead image shows an illustration of a person spinning plates in front of a computer.

This article was first published on Digiday sibling WorkLife

Ever have those days when you feel like you’ve worked non-stop but by the end of the day feel only a sense of dissatisfaction and weary frustration? Like, you haven’t actually achieved anything?

You’re not alone. And guess what, there’s now a new term for it: digital debt.

Modern workers are being buried under a mountain of ever-increasing digital communications. Whether it’s in the form of emails, chat platforms, video meetings or other digital notifications – the sheer volume of digital information and communications we’re required to consume and respond to on a daily basis, is becoming overwhelming.

It’s putting workers in “digital debt” — where the constant need to coordinate and communicate at work is taking time away from deep thinking, creating and actually working, according to a new report from Microsoft.

While desk workers have long been slammed with overloaded inboxes, the pandemic and hybrid working arrangements are highlighting how communicating too much can harm productivity and hinder employees’ abilities to do their jobs effectively. 

To read the full story click here

https://digiday.com/?p=504190

More in Media

Media Briefing: Publishers’ Q3 earnings show revenue upticks despite election ad pullback

Q3 was a mixed bag for publishers, with some blaming the U.S. presidential election for an ad-spend pullback.

Workplace policies poised for seismic shakeup post-election

Topping the list of expected changes: a rollback of many health insurance reforms provided under the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.

News publishers didn’t sustain a traffic bump in the 2024 presidential election week like they did in 2020

Unlike the drawn out process of the presidential election in 2020, this year’s election quickly revealed that Donald Trump would be the winner – and that meant less of a sustained traffic bump to publishers.