Technostress

Technostress is the negative psychological link between people and the introduction of new technologies. Whereas ergonomics is the study of how humans react and physically fit with machines in their environment, technostress is, in many ways, the resistance of change that accompanies newly introduced machines to work, home, and leisure situations.

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."¹ Technostress is based on the irrational fear of change. It can usually be dealt with quite easily.

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Symptoms

Psychological stress can manifest itself physically. The main symptom of technostress is anxiety. Anxiety can appear as: irritability, headaches, mental fatigue, depression, nightmares, panic, resistance, and a feeling of helplessness.

The anxiety expressed by those experiencing technostress can increase errors in judgement and poor job performance if not dealt with.

The causes of technostress amount to:²

• the quick pace of technological change
• lack of proper training
• an increased workload
• lack of standardization within technologies
• the reliability of hardware and software

Coping

Technostress can be dealt with. Ways to eliminate technostress are:

• Buy more adequate, user friendly hardware and software
• Create better communication within the environment
• Create a level of reassurance, patience, and stability within the environment
• Maintain an ever-present system of training and education to new and old technologies

See also

• information overload
• technophobia

Notes and References

1. Brod, Craig. Technostress: The Human Cost of the Computer Revolution. Reading, Mass: Addison Weslety, 1984.

2. Ennis, Lisa A. "The Evolution of Technostress." Computers in Libraries, Sept. 2005, 10-12.