Digital Fatigue as a Risk Factor for Academic Burnout among Indonesian University Students: A Literature Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61722/jmia.v3i3.10411Keywords:
digital fatigue, academic burnout, online learning, Indonesian university students, screen timeAbstract
The rapid development of digital learning has significantly transformed higher education in Indonesia, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the use of online learning systems. Although digital technology makes learning more flexible and easier to access, spending too much time in front of screens, constant online communication, and heavy academic tasks in online classes have caused digital fatigue among university students. Digital fatigue is a condition of physical, mental, and emotional tiredness caused by intensive use of digital devices and online platforms. This study discusses digital fatigue as a possible cause of academic burnout among Indonesian university students. Using academic papers published between 2021 and 2025, this study reviews the causes, symptoms, and effects of digital fatigue on students’ academic well-being. In conclusion, digital fatigue has become an important psychological and educational problem in Indonesian universities.
References
Al-kfairy, M., Alfandi, O., & Khaddaj, S. (2025). Psychological barriers to metaverse-based education: examining the impact of technophobia and digital fatigue. Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, 23(4), 550–566. https://doi.org/10.1108/JICES-04-2025-0080
Daniswari, H. P., & Nuryanto, I. L. (2022). The Effectiveness of Stress Coping Techniques to Reduce Academic Burnout in Guidance and Counseling Students in Yogyakarta During the COVID-19 Pandemic. 4th International Conference on Education and Social Science Research (ICESRE), KnE Social Sciences, 896–904. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v7i14.12040
Daryanto, B., Kurniawan, J., Wiranigitasar, Hioe, F., Nurhadi, P., & Yudhantara, D. S. (2023). Prevalence of burnout and its associated factors among medical students during COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia: A crosssectional study. PLoS ONE, 18(6), e0285986. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285986
Febriani, R. D., Triyono, T., Hariko, R., Yuca, V., & Magistarina, E. (2021). Factors Affecting Student’s Burnout In Online Learning. Jurnal Neo Konseling, 3(2), 32. https://doi.org/10.24036/00567kons2021
Gaite, G., Ingkiriwang, E., & Tania, E. (2022). Gambaran Tingkat Stress , Kecemasan dan Depresi Mahasiswa saat Adaptasi Tahun Kedua Pandemi COVID-19 The Levels of Stress , Anxiety , And Depression of Students during The Second Year Adaptation of COVID-19 Pandemic. Jurnal Kedokteran Meditek, 28(3), 289–294. https://doi.org/10.36452/jkdoktmeditek.v28i3.2381
Ibrahim, R. K., Khaled, M., Almansoori, M., Almazrouei, M., Ashraf, A., Alahmedi, S. H., & Hendy, A. (2025). Screen time and stress: understanding how digital burnout influences health among nursing students. BMC Nursing, 24, 990. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03621-9
Kenedi, A., & Astuti, N. W. (2021). College Student Learning Motivation in Online Learning in Jakarta During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Descriptive Study. Proceedings of the International Conference on Economics, Business, Social, and Humanities (ICEBSH 2021), 1316–1321. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210805.206
Khadafi, Z. R., Pelita, D., & Gunawan, T. (2025). The Phenomenon of Digital Burnout and Social-Emotional Crisis Among Students. Al-Wa’iyah, 1(2), 38–52. https://doi.org/10.51590/wai.v1i2.13
Kirschner, P. A., Sweller, J., Kirschner, F., & Zambrano R., J. (2018). From Cognitive Load Theory to Collaborative Cognitive Load Theory. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 13(2), 213–233. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11412-018-9277-y
Liu, Z., Xie, Y., Sun, Z., Liu, D., Yin, H., & Shi, L. (2023). Factors associated with academic burnout and its prevalence among university students: a cross-sectional study. BMC Medical Education, 23(1), 317. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04316-y
Masduki, Y., & Johari, M. E. (2025). Digital Learning Fatigue and Academic Motivation in Students at Ahmad Dahlan University Yogyakarta. Jurnal Tarbiyatuna, 16(2), 219–234. https://doi.org/10.31603/tarbiyatuna.v16i2.15261
Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2017). Understanding Burnout. In The Handbook of Stress and Health (pp. 36–56). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118993811.ch3
Masrek, M. N., & Baharuddin, M. F. (2023). Screens, Streams, and Stress: A Qualitative Study on How Distance Learning Students Cope with Information Overload. International Journal of Membrane Science and Technology, 10(5), 47–58. https://doi.org/10.15379/ijmst.v10i5.2417
Mukaromah, L., & Wardiana, U. (2022). Students’ burnout and psychological distress in undergoing online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. Insight: Jurnal Ilmiah Psikologi, 24(1), 51–70. https://doi.org/10.26486/psikologi.v24i1.1842
Nobrianti, R., & Elwindra, E. (2023). Faktor-Faktor yang Berhubungan dengan Kelelahan dalam Pembelajaran Online pada Mahasiswa STIKes PHI. Jurnal Persada Husada Indonesia, 10(37), 21–27. https://doi.org/10.56014/jphi.v10i37.367
Nurhidayati, T., Rahayu, D. A., & Alfiyanti, D. (2021). Nursing students’ coping for burnout and fatigue online learning during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences, 9(T4), 92–96. https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2021.5857
Permana, A. A., Kusnadi, A., Marpaung, A. N., Marcela, E. Dela, Yuasan, N., & Fauziyah, S. (2023). Effect of Zoom fatigue on health and learning loss in students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jurnal Inovasi Teknologi Pendidikan, 10(1), 22–32. https://doi.org/10.21831/jitp.v10i1.52930
Prasetyo, A. R., Handayaningrum, W., & Rahayu, E. W. (2025). Digital fatigue and cognitive overload: Psychological challenges in cyber education. Prosiding Seminar Pendidikan Seni Budaya, 2, 001–011. https://conference.um.ac.id/index.php/sendiya/article/view/10020
Rohmani, N., & Andriani, R. (2021). Correlation between academic self-efficacy and burnout originating from distance learning among nursing students in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions, 18, 9. https://doi.org/10.3352/JEEHP.2021.18.9
Salim, J., Tandy, S., Arnindita, J. N., Wibisono, J. J., Haryanto, M. R., & Wibisono, M. G. (2022). Zoom fatigue and its risk factors in online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical Journal of Indonesia, 31(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.13181/mji.oa.225703
Sari, M. W., Indriyanti, N. Y., Antrakusuma, B., & Utami, B. (2021). the Effectiveness of Learning Video Usage To Support Online Learning in Basic Chemistry Course During the Covid-19 Pandemic. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, 6(1), 25. https://doi.org/10.26740/jppipa.v6n1.p25-30
Sunawan, S., Amin, Z. N., Sumintono, B., Hafina, A., & Kholili, M. I. (2021). The differences of students’ burnout from level of education and duration daily online learning during COVID-19 pandemics. Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management, 3723–3729. https://doi.org/10.46254/an11.20210674
Supriyadi, T., Sulistiasih, S., Rahmi, K. H., Pramono, B., & Fahrudin, A. (2025). The impact of digital fatigue on employee productivity and well-being: A scoping literature review. Environment and Social Psychology, 10(2), 3420. https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v10i2.3420
Supriyanto, A., Imtinan, S., Arikunto, S., Handaka, I. B., & Hartini, S. (2024). Academic Burnout Conditions in Indonesian Students: Physical, Mental, and Emotional. Educatione, 2(2), 80–86. https://doi.org/10.59397/edu.v2i2.26
Tinambunan, H. V., & Tumanggor, R. D. (2022). Fatigue Among Nursing Students During COVID-19 Pandemic in Medan. Caring: Indonesian Journal of Nursing Science, 4(1), 17–23. https://doi.org/10.32734/ijns.v4i1.8812
Yosep, I., Mardhiyah, A., Suryani, S., & Mediani, H. S. (2023). Hardiness and Zoom Fatigue on Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study in Indonesia During Online Learning. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 14(October), 1137–1145. https://doi.org/10.2147/AMEP.S430776
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 JURNAL MULTIDISIPLIN ILMU AKADEMIK

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.










