A growing number of people use mobile instant messaging (MIM) apps for a variety of
purposes—most commonly related to social interaction, but also to coordinate work-related
activities, fulfill informational needs, and discuss politics and public affairs. Despite its
convenience for daily life, MIM may also act as an environmental antecedent of
technostress due to users’ inability to cope with the demands of the app in a healthy
manner. We conducted two qualitative studies (N1 = 26; N2 = 147) to examine why people
use MIM apps in their daily life and if diverse uses relate to MIM stress differently. This
research 1) develops a general catalogue of MIM uses; 2) suggests a four-dimensional
construct of MIM technostress consisting of overload, ambiguity, invasion, and urgency; 3)
outlines several differences across age groups and between genders; and 4) describes
possible relationships between MIM uses and stress.
