The Productivity Paradox: Faster Tech, More Overwhelm

Your phone makes you faster and more overwhelmed at the same time. Welcome to the productivity paradox: a new Samsung Canada survey of 1,547 adults found that three-quarters say technology helps them get things done faster, yet 68% say it also gives them more to manage.

The Productivity Gap survey, fielded by Leger between August 31 and September 2, 2026 and released September 22, points to a clear expectation. Technology should not only help people accomplish their goals but simplify the steps along the way. More than half of respondents agreed that the more digital tools they use, the more they have to manage.

"Technology has delivered enormous gains in what people can accomplish, but these findings show that more capability doesn't automatically mean less effort," said Tarik Akad, Vice President of the Mobile Experience Division at Samsung Canada. "The industry's challenge now is not simply adding more intelligent features. It is making that intelligence almost invisible, working in the background to surface what matters, remove unnecessary steps and make everything else feel simpler."

Death by a thousand notifications

The extra work shows up in routine digital tasks, at least a few times a week. Messages and notifications top the list: 77% of Canadians say managing them creates unnecessary effort or slows them down. Close behind are searching for information they know they have already received or seen (70%), keeping track of multiple tasks or conversations at once (66%), and switching between apps or digital services (62%).

The cost isn't just time. At least a few times per week, 59% say they feel mentally drained or overwhelmed when technology, information, or competing priorities make it harder to get things done, while 57% spend more time deciding what to do next than actually doing it. And nearly half agree they often end the day feeling busy without feeling as productive as expected.

Independent research backs the mechanism. A University of Lausanne study led by postdoctoral fellow Hippolyte Fournier found that a single smartphone notification can hijack focus for seven seconds, and that notification volume and checking frequency predicted disruption better than total screen time. "This pattern suggests that the fragmented nature of smartphone use, rather than simply total usage duration, may be a key factor in understanding how digital technologies influence attentional processes," Fournier told CNET, as reported by Mint. In short: it's the constant picking-up that fragments you, not the total hours.

Gen Z feels it the most

Growing up with technology hasn't immunized young people against digital friction. More than half of Gen Z (58%) agree they spend too much time on manual steps just to make technology work, while 51% say switching between apps or digital services creates unnecessary effort or slows them down at least daily. More than half feel mentally drained or overwhelmed at least daily when technology, information, or competing priorities get in the way.

At the same time, Gen Z is the generation most ready to let AI do the heavy lifting: 83% selected at least one AI feature as potentially valuable for getting things done with less effort, according to the Samsung Canada research.

The fixes people actually want

Asked what would help, Canadians were clear: fewer steps, not more apps. Reducing the number of steps needed to complete a task was the most frequently selected improvement (38%), followed by bringing relevant information together rather than searching across apps (30%). Completing more tasks without switching devices, moving between tasks without losing their place, and reducing distractions also ranked high.

The research community has a simpler version of the same advice. A study presented at CHI 2026 by Aalto University researchers found that device overload correlates with stress, negative emotions, and anxiety — and that overloaded users rarely quit on their own. Lead author Janne Lindqvist suggested a "microcheck tracker" showing how often people return to their phones in short bursts, plus an old-school fix: "You don't need to respond to every ping immediately. Do one thing at a time," he said. "Try batching: check messages twice a day and reply in one session. Based on our findings, you may feel less stressed."

The takeaway for your own day: batch your checks, turn off nonessential notifications, and stop measuring productivity by how busy you feel. The productivity paradox won't vanish overnight, but fewer taps between you and the thing that matters is the hack everyone actually wants. For more on reclaiming your attention, read how workplace habits might be making you richer and browse the Life Hacks topic page.