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Cortisol and Data Stress

Meaning

Cortisol and Data Stress refers to the physiological impact of chronic digital information overload, surveillance, and privacy anxiety on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, resulting in dysregulated cortisol secretion. Cortisol, the primary glucocorticoid, is a key mediator of the body’s stress response, and its sustained elevation or blunted diurnal rhythm can signify chronic allostatic load. The clinical term highlights how the modern environment of continuous data consumption and the perceived loss of digital privacy can function as a potent, persistent psychological stressor, thereby negatively influencing endocrine health.