‘Can you send a message just because we know their phone number’?
Many countries recognize the ‘right to disconnect’!
Digital technologies have brought unlimited access to our lives. Being accessible anytime, anywhere via smartphones and instant messaging apps has become a norm. However, the negative impacts of this situation on individuals are increasingly felt.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay, who evaluated the effects of the digital age's “constant accessibility” on individuals' private lives, psychological states, and work-life balance, stated, “An employee receiving work-related calls, emails, or messages after working hours can interrupt their right to rest. When they have to deal with work-related messages and emails during their rest times, this eventually leads to burnout syndrome.”
Noting that the ‘right to disconnect’ has been widely discussed in recent years due to these issues and that many countries have created regulations to recognize this right, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay said, “It is not right to reach anyone we want at any time we want just because we know their phone number.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay, Head of the New Media and Communication Department at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Communication, evaluated the effects of the digital age's “constant accessibility” on individuals' private lives, psychological states, and work-life balance.
Leads to burnout syndrome!
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay stated that mobile technologies and smartphones allow for continuous communication, saying, “Whether by phone, email, or instant messaging applications, we are accessible regardless of time and place. However, this situation does not always yield positive results. Especially in professional life, constant accessibility can turn into a source of pressure. An employee receiving work-related calls, emails, or messages after working hours can interrupt their right to rest. When they have to deal with work-related messages and emails during their rest times, this eventually leads to burnout syndrome. In recent years, due to these issues, the ‘right to disconnect’ has been widely discussed. Many countries have created regulations to recognize this right.”
Negatively Affects Private Life
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay also noted that constant accessibility due to mobile phones and instant messaging applications can negatively affect private life, stating, “The distinction between professional life and private life blurs. Constantly being exposed to work-related communication during time reserved for private life can be a source of stress.”
Is It Impossible to Go Through the Day Without Checking Messages?
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay stated that WhatsApp and similar instant messaging applications are used very intensively in both professional and private life, saying, “We are all members of many different groups, and therefore there is constant stimulation and a constant flow. This inevitably can be distracting, time-consuming, and sometimes annoying. While it is possible to get rid of some of this disturbance by turning off notifications, this time the fear of missing out (FOMO: Fear of missing out) arises. Due to the anxiety of missing out on things, it has become almost impossible to go through the day for very long periods without checking these messaging applications. Therefore, users constantly feel under pressure to check messages. Replying to incoming messages can also be another source of pressure.”
Working Hours Should Not Be Exceeded Unless It Is an Emergency
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay, noting that there are etiquette rules in the digital world, called “netiquette,” said, “There is also an etiquette for using digital technologies and applications like WhatsApp that allow for constant accessibility. It is not right to reach anyone we want at any time just because we know their phone number. In intimate relationships, of course, these technologies allow us to stay in constant communication, and this is an advantage. On the other hand, if we are going to send messages using these applications to people with whom we do not have an intimate relationship due to work or other reasons, it might be a more conscious choice not to exceed working hours unless it is a very urgent situation.”
Off-topic Shares Should Not Be Made
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay also emphasized that it is more appropriate not to send messages to colleagues outside working hours, stating, “If it is necessary to communicate outside working hours, it is necessary to politely ask if the other party is available. If there is an emergency, of course, it is possible to quickly reach the other party with these technologies, but the urgency here must truly be an urgency that both parties would approve. We are not talking about the sender's impatience or an urgency related to their individual work. Furthermore, making off-topic shares in workplace WhatsApp groups, engaging in one-on-one dialogues in the group, making inappropriate jokes, and sending inappropriate messages are considered boundary violations.”
An Immediate Reply to a Sent Message Should Not Be Expected
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay also pointed out that digital communication should be maintained with family members, depending on the degree of closeness, in a way that avoids infringing on sleep or rest times, stating, “Everyone may have a different daily rhythm. When communicating on digital platforms with both colleagues and family members, an immediate reply to a sent message should not be expected. The other party may have other commitments; therefore, it is beneficial to be patient. If a quick response is needed on a matter, it would be appropriate to gently state this.”
‘After-hours communication policy’ can be adopted
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay concluded her words by saying that as societies gain more experience in using digital technologies, the rules will be more widely learned and adopted:
“For this, it is necessary to frequently bring up the rules of conduct that guide digital communication, which is netiquette. Institutions can conduct informational studies on digital communication for their employees and determine institution-specific digital communication rules. Policies can be created stating which platforms should be used for which situations and that there is no obligation to reply to messages sent outside working hours. For example, an ‘after-hours communication policy’ can be adopted. Especially those in management positions can set an example for employees by refraining from sending messages outside working hours and respecting boundaries. Individuals can set an example for their environment by clearly expressing their own boundaries and respecting the boundaries of others. Employees and individuals can silence their digital tools or use ‘do not disturb’ mode at certain hours for work-life balance. In this way, it might be possible to create a healthy digital culture.”