TCresearcher
Craig Brod, a leader in the field of technostress research, states that technostress is “…a modern disease of adaptation caused by an inability to cope with the new computer technologies in a healthy manner.”
Anxiety often results when one struggles to adapt to the new technology, or anti-social feelings and behaviors, when one overly identifies with technology.
There are both positive and negative effects of technology in our lives.
Positive effects of technology:
Medical:
Because of our technology it is easier to do research of our own ailments and contact the hospital if we need to.
Through the use of computer console doctors can perform telesurgery many miles away from the patient.
Personal:
Technology can also mean freedom. This means you can work in a flexible time. You can easily contact family members in case of emergency and stay connected with friends.
Cultural:
Technology can also bridge the gap between rich and poor between third world countries and the developed world. Technology means empowerment.
Effects of technology on family:
There is a positive and negative effect of technology on the family. Positive when technology is used to contact family members for emergency or just to reconnect with them. Negative is when there is a loss of communication within the family because of technology. This could happen when everybody is wrapped up in their own world gawking at a screen.
Personal Stress:
Technology can allow us do things simultaneously. You can cook, talk on the phone, send email, do laundry and also be printing documents at the same time. Because we can do so much with technology this makes us unable to sleep. Our brains are just overloaded with too much information. The trap is called: “Because we can, we do.”
Information pollution (technology information) can cause anxiety, decision paralysis as well as stress.
General stress complaints about technology:
Managing emails (spam), Technical problems (losing data, finding data), Overload: handling too much information and Keeping up with new technology (new version of software).
How to manage it:
Reduce: keep your response short
React: filter, delete
Reorganize: Clean up to at least 15 min a week. Save/back up important documents
Other things you can do:
Fine someone to help you with the new technology
Maybe you need to unplug it or turn off
Define the time when you are working
Technology is a complex thing to manage however we should learn how to control it rather than let technology control us
