You might think your fatigue comes from juggling too many tasks, but according to Paul Leonardi, a technology management expert at UC Santa Barbara, the real culprit may be how your brain handles constant digital switching. In his new book, Digital Exhaustion: Simple Rules for Reclaiming Your Life, Leonardi explains that bouncing between apps, tasks, and life domains leaves us mentally drained.
Leonardi says each app or tool requires focus. Switching between them—like moving from Zoom to Microsoft Teams or from emails to texts—forces your brain to disengage and re-engage repeatedly. Unlike physical exhaustion, the brain doesn’t always signal when it’s tired, leaving us feeling wiped out without realizing why.
He identifies three types of switches that wear us down. First, switching between platforms, like video calls or software tools. Second, switching between tasks when you’re interrupted mid-project. Third, switching across areas of life, such as responding to a work email while managing household responsibilities. These interruptions accumulate, producing what Leonardi calls “digital exhaustion.”
Social media, he adds, is particularly draining because it taxes attention, requires constant inference, and stirs emotion. Notifications, incomplete information, and social comparisons make platforms like Facebook and Instagram mentally exhausting.
Remote workers may feel this fatigue more acutely. Without clear boundaries between work and home, they rely heavily on digital tools, often “performing” online to signal availability. Leonardi suggests small changes, like turning off self-view in video meetings, can reduce mental load and self-consciousness.
For parents overwhelmed by endless texts about schedules and activities, he recommends evaluating the real value of these communications. Sometimes coordinating in person, rather than through constant messaging, saves time and fosters deeper relationships.
Leonardi’s advice highlights a simple but powerful truth: our brains aren’t designed to keep pace with the nonstop digital world, and managing technology thoughtfully is key to reclaiming energy and focus.
