Technostress is a term coined by Craig Brod, a psychologist. He defines it as a “condition resulting from the liability of an individual or organization to adapt to the introduction and operation of new technology”. Jane Rothstein, another psychologist and Bord’s co-author defines technostress as “personal stress generated by a reliance on technological devices, a panicky feeling when they fail, and a state of near-constant stimulation or being perpetually plugged-in”.
While Brod’s definition is more closely related to technophobia and refers to individuals and organizations that are still in the process of learning and adapting to technology, Rothstein’s definition applies to us who are adept with using technology.
Technostress cannot be entirely avoided and is actually a by-product of our society’s fondness for technology. This is what Marshall McLuhan would refer to as the result of an “amputation”. Technology, according to McLuhan, extends the functions of the human body and that for every technological extension there is an equivalent amputation.
Take a car as an example. The car extends the functions of the legs and feet because its makes for easier, faster, and more convenient travel from point A to point B taking into consideration there is no humongous traffic jam on your route in which case traveling by foot would be a lot better. Anyway, its resulting amputation is that the legs no longer do its function of walking that is beneficial to the body such that one has to devote extra time to exercise. Plus, car exhaust pollutes the environment that amputates the air we breathe.
Another example would be the telephone that extends the human voice. Word processors extend our penmanship. There are a lot of gadgets and tools to speak of with their human extensions and resulting amputations.
Admit it or not we have at one time or another suffered from technostress without us knowing it. Think about those times you forgot to bring your cellphones and you went about the day like something was missing in your life or you’re traveling to an unfamiliar place and you suddenly find yourself cut out from the rest of humanity because there’s no signal.
I know I have. Each time I receive anything for review I get stressed because I need to learn how to use whatever it is I’m reviewing in a short time and write about it like I’ve been using it for a long time already. Every time I forget to bring my mobile, I keep thinking that I hope nobody would try to reach me with something urgent only to find out when I get home that those times I occupied myself with thoughts of who could have texted me were all for nothing. When I prepare a presentation and the animation doesn’t turn out as I have programmed, I get stressed.
My youngest son, who is very much into playing computer games, gets upset when he can’t play because I’m using the PC. See even kids get technostress, too.
But I’ve recently experienced something that will help me cope with technostress. I’ve been working on it since July last year and I wasn’t aware until I actually underwent the experience that it worked. It’s so simple you’ll be surprised.
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