Digital technologies have transformed economic and organisational systems, generating substantial gains in efficiency, connectivity, and innovation. However, an emerging consequence of digitalisation that remains insufficiently explored within economic discourse is digital fatigue. Existing research has primarily examined digital fatigue as a psychological, behavioural, or organisational phenomenon, while its broader implications for productivity sustainability remain under-theorised. This conceptual short communication addresses the research question: How can digital fatigue be conceptualised as a structural economic concern affecting productivity in digitally intensive economies? Adopting an interdisciplinary conceptual approach, the article synthesises insights from economics, psychology, neuroscience, organisational studies, media studies, and human–computer interaction research. The study develops a conceptual framework linking digital intensification, cognitive overload, attentional fragmentation, decision fatigue, and reduced cognitive recovery to challenges in productivity sustainability. By repositioning digital fatigue as a structural rather than purely individual concern, the article highlights its potential implications for labour quality, decision-making efficiency, innovation capacity, and long-term economic performance. The paper contributes to emerging debates on cognitive sustainability, the future of work, and digitally mediated economic systems, while proposing directions for future empirical and policy research.
Handique et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
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