The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant effect on every age group, including high school students. They were forced to be constantly connected to ICTs in online lessons instead of attending in-class lessons. A consequence of the continuous exposure to ICTs is the occurrence of technostress enhancing individuals’ emotional exhaustion. As part of this research, the effect of emotional exhaustion on high school students is studied. A survey that was carried out within schools in Austria and Germany with 592 participants shows the effect of emotional exhaustion as a driver for students’ online learning fatigue. Online learning fatigue is characterized as lower mental and operational effectiveness to learn and study online. These findings can be used in research and practice to improve students’ lives during these times
