Computer-mediated communication exhaustion in university students : psychologists’ perspectives and proposed interventions

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative research is to explore the manner in which psychologists address computer-mediated communication exhaustion in their clients, as well as identify the psychotherapeutic interventions they employ. This was achieved by conducting semi-structured interviews with 4 university students to understand the impact of prolonged usage of communication platforms, such as zoom. According to Amponsah and colleagues (2022), the education sector has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, they mentioned that students have viewed videoconferencing during the lockdown period as an exhausting experience. Moreover, the phenomenon was addressed from various psychological perspectives, and through investigating professionals’ proposed interventions. A qualitative approach was used, and 6 Maltese psychologists of varying age ranges and years of experience were recruited using purposeful sampling methods. Whilst most of the results obtained from this study were consistent with the literature, there remains a limited body of research pertaining to this psychological affliction. For instance, the research process shed light on the notion that an individual’s experience with online communication platforms may vary according to their personality style. Moreover, it was found that psychotherapeutic interventions, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Ecotherapy have been effective in alleviating symptoms of mental exhaustion. However, findings also indicate that psychologists who have not been trained in this area currently find themselves in a position where they are unable to employ evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions to address this type of mental exhaustion. This points to the importance of further research in this area.