The Human Energy and Fatigue Constructs in Relation to Information and Communication Technologies: A Conceptual Framework

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are generally assumed to save time and energy, yet user fatigue due to ICT use is assumed to be on the rise. The question about the effects of ICT use on human energy has sparked increased research interest in recent years, however, the course is complicated by the fact that the conceptualization of human energy is extremely diverse. The aim of this paper is therefore to provide a conceptual framework and classification of the subjective energy and fatigue concepts and reflect on the theoretical embedding of technology within the theories on subjective energy. We also reflect on the new phenomena of social networking sites (SNS) exhaustion and SNS fatigue. With this, we aim to provide a conceptual baseline for future research on the relationship between ICT use and subjective energy of ICT users.