The Malaysian Insight

THERE are signs of increasing stress levels in people as interactions are limited to gadgets during the Covid-19 pandemic, said mental health professionals.

They told The Malaysian Insight that many individuals are also finding it difficult to separate office time from home time when work-from-home is the new norm and this is contributing to burnouts from virtual usage.

Malaysian Mental Health Association (MMHA) president Dr Andrew Mohanraj said a significant number of people have reached out to MMHA, reporting that they are spending a considerable amount of time online.

“Employees complain that they are expected to respond to work-related emails at odd hours during the movement-control order (MCO).

“Students also complained that there is a heavy burden to do online studies without proper guidance,” Andrew said.

Clients said the result of online fatigue includes disturbed sleep, smoking more and drinking more caffeine, anxiety and depression.

“We have had a few cases when clients have expressed suicidal thoughts as well.”

Kee Joey, founder of Ripple Community, an online mental health and well-being platform, said online fatigue happens when one feels worn out and trapped by the need of being “online” all the time.

“The self-complexity in terms of our identity has been condensed to only one context – in a box with a screen,” Kee said.

“From a psychological point of view, having to work online is also a constant reminder of people’s loss of freedom and control over their circumstances due to Covid-19.”

Video conferencing brings on social pressure, such as having to pay attention during multi-person screens, Kee said.

“The delays on conferencing systems do cause people to view the responses of others as negative, particularly less attentive and engaging.

“It is also difficult to not be conscious of how one behaves in front of the camera.”

The rule of thumb is to spend less than 14% of your time on online meetings, said Kee, who is a clinical psychologist.

“It is important to create buffers that allow people to switch between their work and private identities.

“Turning on the camera should also be optional. There should be more understanding that cameras do not always have to be on throughout each meeting,” Kee said.

Students’ needs

Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) associate professor Dr Tan Chee Seng said students have experienced at least two semesters of online learning since the pandemic started.

“The feedback was that online classes were conducted almost the entire day from 9am to 6pm. Some have night classes from 6pm to 9pm as well,” said Tan of the university’s psychology and counselling department.

To tackle the situation, Tan suggests that universities put aside the academic requirements or task-focused goal to meet students’ needs.

“Help students to get used to the facilities and environment first. The lecturers who overlook this part will feel pressured when teaching these students.”

He also recommends that the syllabus include more offline activities.

“We should review the syllabus to not give too much information to students, especially through online platforms.

“Give tasks or assignments for students to get away from the internet or devices.”

Many students do not have a conducive learning environment during the MCO, either a place without interference at home or troubles with the internet connection.

“Parents usually assume that students are on leisure activities when they are studying online.

“Children can discuss their timetables with their parents, so parents would know when to not disturb their children.

“And children should inform when they can help their parents.”

Though some steps may sound simple, mental health professionals are reminding parties to apply this knowledge to safeguard their well-being. – January 20, 2021.