Stress and Technology Use as a coping method in Urban Population
Aryo Edhie Nugroho, Nangoi Priscilla Francis, Budi Sulaeman, Pingkan C. B. Rumondor

BINUS University

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a situation where the population^s stress level increased, but the possibility to receive direct mental health services has become limited. Stress is a combination of stressors, stress reactivity, and strain (Greenberg, 2017). If left untreated, stress can significantly influence physical and mental health. Coping strategies can be done variously, including utilizing technology. This preliminary study aims to find an overview of stress and technology use as a coping method in the Urban population before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Content analysis from 153 participants showed that 82.4% experienced external stressors. Moreover, 41% of external stressors resulted from work and 34% from life. Furthermore, 60.13% of participants used emotional-focused coping, and 5.23% used problem-focused coping. Forty-four percent of participants reported changes in coping strategies before and during the pandemic. In terms of technology use, 69.28% have been using technology or application as a coping method. Out of 30.72% of participants who did not use technology before the pandemic, 65.96% switched to using technology to reduce strain. Only 10.46% did not use technology as a coping method before and during the pandemic. Applications that were used to reduce strain before and during pandemics can be categorized: e-commerce, gaming, health, instant messaging, social media, messaging, productivity, streaming, and others. This study implied that individuals in the urban areas tend to use technology as a coping method during the pandemic. Possibilities for the development of a web or smartphone-based application to cope with stress independently were discussed.

Keywords: stress, coping, technology use, urban population

Topic: Health, Medical, Pharmacy and Technology