Alejandro Cataldo

The rapid expansion of digital information has given rise to new forms of hoarding that share features with hoarding disorder, yet their underlying psychological mechanisms remain insufficiently understood. Although hoarding disorder (HD) has been extensively studied, digital hoarding (DH) has received far less empirical attention within the behavioral sciences. This study examines whether the factors associated with hoarding disorder also account for digital hoarding and whether hoarding disorder influences digital hoarding. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), data from 344 university students were analyzed, considering cognitive factors (memory, attention, and decision making) and emotional factors (stress, enjoyment, and anxiety). The results reveal that stress is the most influential factor in both behaviors. However, the relative importance of secondary factors differs: enjoyment plays a more prominent role in hoarding disorder, whereas memory is more salient in digital hoarding. Furthermore, hoarding disorder directly predicts digital hoarding and mediates the effects of stress, enjoyment, and memory, explaining 37.6% of the variance in digital hoarding. These findings suggest that digital hoarding is not merely an extension of hoarding disorder but rather a behavior characterized by distinct psychological dynamics.

Digital hoarding (DH) is an emerging behavior with potential implications for psychological well-being and daily functioning. While traditionally associated with physical hoarding disorder, DH presents unique challenges in digital environments, particularly among university students increasingly immersed in technology. This study examines the relationship between DH and academic performance, proposing a theoretical model in which academic engagement and academic burnout act as mediating mechanisms. Drawing on the Job Demands–Resources Theory, we provide evidence that DH contributes to a health impairment process that negatively affects student outcomes. Our findings reveal DH as a novel predictor of academic burnout, highlighting its detrimental impact on academic performance. These results carry significant theoretical and practical implications, offering new insights into the role of technology-related anxiety disorders in educational settings. From a practical perspective, our study underscores the need for higher education institutions to implement targeted interventions focused on emotional regulation and learning strategies to mitigate the negative effects of DH. Despite limitations related to sample specificity and cross-sectional data, this research opens avenues for future longitudinal studies and interventions aimed at addressing DH in both academic and professional contexts. By linking digital behaviors to mental health and performance, this work aligns with public health interests in understanding technology’s impact on youth well-being.

The rapid shift to online education during the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated mental health risks for students, particularly those experiencing multidimensional poverty—a potential contributor to psychological distress in digital learning environments. This study examines how poverty-driven techno-distress (technology-related stress) impacts university students’ mental health, focusing on 202 Chilean learners engaged in remote classes. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), we analyzed multidimensional poverty and its association with techno-distress, measured through validated scales. The results suggest that poverty conditions are associated with 32.5% of technostress variance (R² = 0.325), while techno-distress may indirectly relate to 18.7% of students’ dissatisfaction with academic life—a proxy for emerging mental health risks. Importance–performance map analysis (IPMA) identified housing habitability (e.g., overcrowding, inadequate study spaces) and healthcare access as priority intervention targets, surpassing purely digital factors. These findings indicate that techno-distress in online education may function as a systemic stressor, potentially amplifying pre-existing inequities linked to poverty. For educators and policymakers, this highlights the urgency of early interventions addressing students’ physical environments alongside pedagogical strategies. By framing techno-distress as a public health challenge rooted in socioeconomic disparities, this work advances preventive approaches to safeguard student well-being in increasingly hybrid educational landscapes.

Digital technologies have generated several positive effects at the individual and social levels. However, more recently, the negative side of technologies has been studied. Among these negative consequences is the excessive accumulation of digital content, also known as “digital hoarding”. This is a relatively recent behavior, so research is still in development and only a few studies have been published about its effects. To contribute to closing this gap, a study was conducted on 344 higher education workers (administrative and academic staff). We analyzed digital hoarding and its effect on loss of control and negative consequences using structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Our results show that digital hoarding influences individuals’ perception of loss of control and that both significantly influence negative consequences. Additionally, we found that there is no significant moderating effect of age or number of devices on the relationship between the constructs. Organizations should be concerned about this behavior and its effects to generate measures to mitigate its impact, especially considering that 83% of decision-makers believe that their companies are digital data hoarders.

The incorporation of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in educational environments has generated diverse effects. The literature has established that the use of ICT can generate techno-distress in both teachers and students. However, the techno-distress and burnout caused in parents who help their children to use technological platforms have not been analyzed in depth. To contribute to closing this theoretical gap, we conducted a study with 131 parents who helped their children to use technological platforms, considering two antecedents of techno-distress and its effect on parental burnout. Our results demonstrate that both the home facilitating conditions and the system quality influence parental techno-distress. Additionally, it was possible to demonstrate that techno-distress has a significant effect on parental burnout. The use of technology in educational environments is increasing at all educational levels. Therefore, the present study provides relevant information that schools can use to reduce the impact of the negative effects generated by technology.

Los sistemas de planificación de recursos empresariales (ERP) se han convertido en una herramienta de gestión esencial tanto para las grandes como para las pequeñas empresas. Aunque en las últimas décadas se ha publicado un gran número de artículos sobre los ERP, pocos estudios se han centrado en la satisfacción de los usuarios durante la fase posterior a la implementación. Basándonos en las teorías de la aceptación tecnológica y del ajuste tarea-tecnología, examinamos cómo la interrelación de las actitudes individuales y el ajuste entre la tarea y el ERP afecta a la satisfacción de los usuarios en una universidad pública que adoptó un SAP-ERP. Distribuimos un cuestionario y analizamos las respuestas de 126 usuarios mediante un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales de mínimos cuadrados parciales (PLS-SEM). Los resultados muestran que la utilidad percibida y los beneficios globales predicen significativamente la satisfacción de los usuarios. Además, los beneficios globales están influidos por la percepción de eficiencia en la tarea, las mejoras en la coordinación y la alineación estratégica. La personalización del sistema no tuvo ningún efecto estadístico en el modelo.