In an increasingly digital world, women find themselves carrying a disproportionate share of the online workload at home, adding to an already significant mental burden. While technology is often seen as a productivity tool, for many women it has amplified the hidden labor they undertake in their families. This digital overload is becoming a widespread issue, creating burnout and dissatisfaction.
The Daily Juggle: Women Shouldering the Digital Load
It’s a scenario familiar to many: a phone notification pings, reminding of school events or urgent family needs. Mothers often respond to these alerts instinctively, managing the household without waiting for their partners to step in. This digital burden of organizing family life is something women increasingly face, despite modern attempts at sharing domestic duties more equally.
Although men are taking on more parenting tasks than in the past, women continue to be the primary family organizers, and now technology is exacerbating this invisible workload. “Women are more likely to be exposed to the double burden of digital communication in both work and family life,” says Yang Hu of Lancaster University, who led a cross-national study on this issue.
A Hidden Burden in Plain Sight
A recent study of more than 6,600 parents across 29 countries highlights the extent of this burden. The research shows that women, especially mothers, are more likely to juggle work and family responsibilities digitally than men. Hu and Yue Qian from the University of British Columbia found that while men typically use technology for work, women engage with it for both work and home responsibilities. The imbalance worsened during the pandemic, as working from home blurred the lines between personal and professional life.
According to the study, women are 1.6 times more likely to manage high levels of digital communication in both spheres. Local parent groups, grocery shopping, school emails, and organizing extracurricular activities are now often conducted online, adding a layer of invisible labor that falls mostly on women.
The Flexibility Paradox: How Working from Home Impacts Women
The rise in remote work, while beneficial for flexibility, has also placed more pressure on women. Studies show that women who work from home tend to do more housework and childcare than those who work on-site. Heejung Chung, a sociologist at King’s College London, explains that flexible working arrangements can reinforce traditional caregiving roles. Even in high-earning positions, women feel the expectation to juggle both professional and household responsibilities.
This dual burden of home and work is not only mentally exhausting but also contributes to widening gender inequalities. It reduces the time and energy women can devote to their careers, furthering the gender pay gap and causing strain in relationships.
Mental Load: The Invisible Taskmaster
The “mental load” refers to the unseen cognitive and emotional labor involved in keeping a household running smoothly. Women are disproportionately responsible for anticipating needs, planning, and managing day-to-day family logistics. This mental load is invisible yet ever-present, impacting women’s ability to fully engage in their professional lives.
For instance, arranging a child’s playdate might seem like a simple task, but it involves several steps of coordination. The reality is that women are more likely to handle these details, often without their male partners recognizing the extent of the effort.
Breaking the Cycle: How to Share the Digital Workload
As technology becomes more integrated into family life, it’s important for couples to address the gendered patterns that shape digital tasks. Simple strategies like shared calendars, clear division of labor, and open conversations about responsibilities can help alleviate the burden.
For example, rather than one person shopping online while the other cooks, the couple can share both aspects of the task equally. Sharing the mental and digital workload not only reduces stress but also ensures that both partners are actively engaged in family management.
Creating an Equal Playing Field
To truly address digital overload, it’s essential to tackle the root causes of gender inequality in caregiving. As Chung points out, policies such as shared parental leave could help create a more equitable division of childcare. Encouraging fathers to take on more childcare and household responsibilities will eventually translate into sharing the digital workload.
Cultural shifts, like those seen in Sweden, where parental leave has led to more equal caregiving, are examples of how change is possible. To challenge the status quo, we must acknowledge the invisible labor that women are doing and make conscious efforts to share it.
Conclusion: A Call for Change
The digital burden placed on women is a modern-day extension of traditional gender roles. As our lives become more reliant on technology, the need for equal division of household and digital tasks becomes even more crucial. By sharing responsibilities openly and addressing these inequalities, couples can reduce the mental strain on women and foster healthier, more balanced family dynamics.
The more we bring this hidden work to light, the closer we come to ensuring that the digital load is shared equally between partners.