Half of New Zealanders overwhelmed by notification overload

Research commissioned by 2degrees has found that half of New Zealanders feel overwhelmed by the number of notifications they receive on their digital devices.

The findings reveal that social media, emails, and app alerts have become a major source of disruption for many people across the country, impacting everything from productivity to wellbeing.

Amongst Generation Z—the first generation to grow up entirely online—38% regularly report feeling overwhelmed, panicked, or anxious due to the frequency of notifications. Common Sense Media research from the United States indicated that teenagers receive an average of 237 notifications per day, highlighting the scale of the issue.

Kathryn Berkett, neuroscience and digital wellbeing expert, explained the scientific mechanisms at work. "Notifications trigger dopamine, making them addictive. We think we're good at multitasking, but in reality, we're task-switching, which drains our energy and reduces focus. It also disrupts our real-world interactions - our attention is physically pulled away the moment we hear or see a ping," says Berkett.

Berkett outlined several impacts of excessive notifications, stating that they distract people, make it harder to focus and efficiently complete tasks, affect relationships by pulling attention away from real-life interactions, disrupt sleep, and impact long-term wellbeing. She noted extended exposure to notifications can even "physically alter brain development - cells that fire together, wire together."

2degrees has introduced an initiative called NO-tifications as part of its Fairer Phones Project, aiming to encourage better digital habits and to prompt New Zealanders to regain control over their devices.

Mark Callander, Chief Executive of 2degrees, commented, "Phones are powerful tools for connection, but when notifications dictate our attention, we're not using them on our terms. We're calling on Kiwis to take control of their notifications before notifications take control of them."

The 2degrees-commissioned survey detailed how different age groups are affected. Within Generation Z, 46% described receiving far too many or too many notifications, 38% said they regularly feel overwhelmed, panicked or anxious by the volume received, and 40% reported difficulty concentrating due to their frequency, leading to constant phone checking. The most commonly cited sources of notifications were social media (65%) and email (60%).

Across all respondents aged 16 and above, 50% stated they receive too many notifications, 37% said they feel overwhelmed, panicked, or anxious, and 30% said they struggle to concentrate because of the number they receive.

Sean Lyons, Chief Online Safety Officer at Netsafe, lent his support to the initiative. "At Netsafe, we're seeing growing concern about how constant connectivity and screen time affect young people's focus and their overall wellbeing. 2degrees' Fairer Phones Project initiative taps into an important conversation - how we can all be more intentional in our digital lives. Encouraging people to pause and reflect on their phone habits is a valuable step toward building healthier, more balanced relationships with technology."

2degrees has recommended several practical steps for those seeking to reduce notification overload: be selective when granting apps permission to send notifications, regularly review and mute unnecessary alerts, and designate specific times to check notifications rather than responding to them throughout the day.