(circa. 23 Julie 2024)
HAVEN'T YOU HEARD?
Chances are - you haven't! So where have you been the past 40 years? The Topic of this Article has been researched a lot and a lot has been Published about it as well. During my research (again) I found something was lacking which I want to address in this Article.
The term Technostress was coined by the American Psychologist Craig Brod in his book published in 1984 by Addison Wesley: "Technostress: the human cost of the computer revolution”. The psychologist referred for the first time to the stress associated with the use of technologies and their impact on the psychological level. In the definition of Brod, the Technostress was "a modern disease of adaptation caused by inability to cope with new computer technologies in a healthy manner", meaning both computers and software [The Technostress: definition, symptoms and risk prevention. M. Chiappetta 2017]
This should not be confused with Technophobia, because Technophobia is defined as "an overwhelming fear of technology and the effects of technological developments on society or the environment". People who suffer from Technophobia are afraid to use technology which may include Computers, Mobile phones, ATM's, Smart TV's etc. Technostress on the other hand deals with the physical and emotional impact that users of technology experience. It is also important to know what Technology is: "Machinery and equipment developed from the application of scientific knowledge". It doesn't mention I.T., Computers or Modern at all, does it? While it might sound like a stupid example, wearing glasses while reading means that you are using Technology.
Thinking back to my Third year at University, the Professor asked the class to describe Frustration. Expecting an IT related question, we were all a bit baffled by the question, some students got frustrated every time the Professor would say "NO". He didn't want a Dictionary definition, instead his response was that frustration is a human response caused by the inability to achieve a certain result while using technology (or "something"). It became clear by the end of the class that there are not a lot of man-made "things" that can not be described as Technology.
Brod was very specific however, stating that Technostress involves Computer Technology, and this was long before the iPhone! I often wonder if Brod planned the publication of his book to coincide with the "Big Brother" advertisement by Apple, which was only broadcasted ONCE - in 1984! Then there is George Orwell's Novel "Nineteen-Eighty-Four" which was published in 1949. It's just too weird to be a coincidence!!!
A MODERN DISEASE
If you believe that the term "Modern" belongs to the 20th Century and beyond, then there is another surprise for you. The first evidence for the word "Modern" comes from Gilbert Hay in 1485, almost 500 years before Brod's book. The origin of the word "modern" is from the Latin phrase "Just Recently", therefore we can argue that no matter when, anything that was created, invented or just happened to happen, was modern. Looking at Brod's definition again, it's important to REMEMBER that he refers to Technostress as a Modern disease caused by NEW Computer Technology, not Modern Technology. I am going to try and convince you, by the end of this article, that Technostress in the 21st Century is still a Modern Disease, but People also have Modern methods to combat this Disease.
"Change is inevitable", "The only constant thing, is Change", does that sound familiar? Change happens by the Hour everyday and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Humans have evolved into Homo Sapiens Sapiens, or Modern Humans, with higher brain functions being a determining factor. Modern Humans therefore have the ability to find Modern solutions to their Modern problems, with the Scientific knowledge they gain. The field of Science is too broad to go into, so the focus of this article will be on Computer-related Science. When Brod published his book in 1984, it wasn't really well received by the Computer Science Community and something like a "Personal Computer" was barely more than an idea. If we should compare current Computer Technologies to what was available in 1984, it will make one wonder what they could possibly have been through in 1984 and what effect did the Computer Technologies of 1984 have on People back then? Honestly, the same, and the MAIN reason is because People do not have the ability to adapt quickly enough to keep up with the developments in Computer Technology. We're only Human after all!
When I wrote my first paper based on Technostress, in 1998, as part of my studies, it was also not very well received. The Professors and other Academia smirked at my assumptions and predictions, saying it was baseless and far-fetched and will "probably never happen". I barely got a pass for my paper and presentation as well as a very serious discussion with my Professor that should I continue with this ridiculous notion that Computer Technology will evolve beyond the Human Capacity to adapt, then I should really get tangible facts based on real data to prove whatever point I was trying to make. Google didn't exist in 1998 in South Africa and most of my statements were based on articles written in Scientific Magazines, the DATA just didn't exist in South Africa and I had three months left before having to submit my Final Paper. Then I got lucky and never in my life (up to that point) was I more happy to be Gay, than ever. I started chatting on "Dating Sites" with men from America, The U.K. and even Australia with the hope that I might meet just one guy who works in the Computer Industry that can help. Not only did he work in the Computer Industry, but he had access to the U.S. Census data that ended up in my Final Paper and I felt great because I had facts! We never met in person, but he helped me out with almost everything I needed. Still, with all the data and all the facts to prove my point, I barely passed because of the deductions I made from the data, which included:
- The Internet is going to become THE Main Driver in the Value Chain;
- People would be able to buy Computer Software from Companies via the Internet instead of CD's, because they get frustrated when they have to wait for new Products to be released;
- In South Africa you would not be able to find basic employment if you are not Computer Literate (South Africa has a Commodity Driven Economy);
- You would be able to watch Movies or Series via your TV by downloading it via The Internet;
- The People who can not or do not want to keep up with the developments in Computer Hardware and Software, will become obsolete;
- New Jobs requiring Computer Skills will replace Manual Labor because Computers will be used to perform repetitive tasks which costs less than employing a Person;
- I was almost asked to stop my presentation when I proved and predicted the following: Humans will physically evolve to adapt to New Computer Technologies, e.g. Our fingers will start to become longer and thinner; Eyes will become bigger but not fast enough leading to more People wearing glasses from a younger age; Trying to Cope with Technostress will cause Stress which in turn causes other Physical issues - infertility being one of them - INFIRTILITY. Obesity will INCREASE, because People won't do as much physically intensive jobs as before; there will be a rapid increase in the demand for Professionals in Mental Health to help People cope with factors like Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia and other Stress related issues.
I should have probably stopped before I mentioned Infertility, because one sarcastic female Professor smirked at me and asked if I'm implying that People will look like Aliens one day, to which I answered "Possibly - Yes" (being a Trekkie as well).
Without bragging, I was one of the Top 5 Performers every year at University and it literally drove me to tears when I got the result for my paper. What made it worse was all the comments written on my paper by the various Professors from being "Outrages" to (I'm not lying) "W.T.F???" If only they were alive today, I would take my paper and rub it in their faces. Ironically, one died from Brain Cancer, another from a Diabetic attack, one Committed Suicide and the last one (I heard) resigned and bought a farm because he couldn't cope with the New demands of his profession - IT???
Even though it took longer than I predicted, everything I listed, and others in my paper I haven't listed, realized - eventually and I feel vindicated. I can also imagine that a lot of People are thinking about the same thing at this point: Infertility perhaps? How on Earth did I manage to provide facts about Infertility in 1998? Based on the U.S. data I had and some statistical analysis, it was rather easy. The scary thing is that when I applied the same techniques on more Current data, my predictions would have been "Outrages", because the Infertility rate is much higher in Developed Countries than what I predicted. Women in the Computer Industry work longer hours, willingly, than Women in Administration jobs. They also get Married at an older age and on average they have more Mental Health problems. Humans have one thing in common with other Mammals, we only copulate when we are certain that our offspring could be provided for. If a woman suffers from stress related issues, they reach Menopause a lot earlier. Women in stressful jobs are more likely to divorce, thereby giving themselves "more time to have babies", but they are completely surprised when they suddenly find out that they are in Menopause or their eggs are just not healthy enough. Stress also leads to more miscarriages, eventually leading to women who just give up. Then we can add the rise of Breast Cancer, Prostrate Cancer, Ovarian Cancer and Porn - YES - porn, thanks to The Internet of Things! I was shocked to the core when I found out, after a lot of research, that the "Best Porn Actress" earns $15 Million per year!
The Elephant in the room remains, Brod called Technostress a DISEASE.A Disease be defined as: "A disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that has a known cause and a distinctive group of symptoms, signs, or anatomical changes". This definition presents three questions related to Brod's definition:
- The CAUSE of Technostress is the inability to Cope. How do you determine or measure someone's inability to Cope?
- Technostress is related to New Computer Technologies. Computer Hardware and Software are constantly Upgraded, Re-invented or Discontinued, how do you determine what's New and what's Old?
- In a Healthy Manner. When I started working the "Older" IT guys told me that anything can happen as long as they have Coffee and Cigarettes. Your "Healthy" might be different than my "Healthy".
I knew this article had to be more technical than others and no matter how I tried to give my own Opinion and focus on the Human aspect and other factors that can have a relationship with Technostress, I had to incorporate FACTS from research over the years about Technostress. I was overwhelmed by how much research have been done since 1984 that I can now rely on and share. The Research I'm going to refer to covers a wide range of issues related to Technostress and I want to EMPHASIZE one thing: Since Technostress can evolve, the research evolved - what's applicable today will probably be archaic 5 years from now, but the basic principles will still remain the same.
I'm going to try and explain The Disease by focusing on three factors:
- Causes;
- Symptoms; and
- Impact.
1. CAUSES
When I started researching, I found that there have been multiple Studies done about the Symptoms of Technostress but not the CAUSE. If we change the Topic to a Medical Condition, e.g. Cancer, it is imperative to know what the Cause of the Cancer is, before treatment can start. I have limited knowledge about Cancer, but I know that it can progress, get worse and should be constantly monitored to ensure that the treatment is working.
- At its Core, the fundamental Cause of Technostress has NOT changed since 1984: "...caused by an inability to cope with the new computer technologies..."
- Brod, as a Psychologist, recognized the inability of people to cope with New Computer Technologies and Classified it as a Mental Condition, irrespective of what the Technologies were in 1984.
- More recent definitions of technostress refer to it [Technostress] as physical, behavioral, and psychological strain in response to ICT dependence, to increasing computer complexity, and accelerated ICT-driven work changes. [Wikipedia]
- Atanasoff and Venable considered technostress in three main categories:
- Transactional and perceived stress,
- Biology, and
- Occupational health. [Atanasoff, Lynn; Venable, Melissa A. (2017). "Technostress: Implications for Adults in the Workforce". The Career Development Quarterly. 65 (4): 326–338]
- Potential Causes by Ennis, Lisa A. ["The Evolution of Technostress." Computers in Libraries, Sept. 2005]
- Rapid speeds at which technology evolves;
- Lack of proper training in technology usage;
- Increased workload;
- Lack of standardization within technologies; and
- Reliability issues in hardware and software.
- There are five conditions that are classified as "technostress creators":[Tarafdar, M., Ragu-Nathan, T.S., Ragu-Nathan, B. and Tu, Q., The Impact of Technostress on Productivity, Journal of Management Information Systems, 2007]
- Techno-overload describes situations where use of computers forces people to work more and work faster.
- Techno-invasion describes being “always exposed” where people can potentially be reached anywhere and any time and feel the need to be constantly connected. The regular work-day is extended, office work is done at all sorts of hours, and it is almost impossible to "cut away."
- Techno-complexity describes situations where the complex computer systems used at work force people to spend time and effort in learning and understanding how to use new applications and to update their skills. People find the variety of applications, functions, and jargon intimidating and consequently feel stressed.
- Techno-insecurity is associated with situations where people feel threatened about losing their jobs to other people who have a better understanding of new gadgets and computing devices.
- Techno-uncertainty relates to short life cycles of computer systems. Continuing changes and upgrades do not give people a chance to acquire experience with a particular system. People find this unsettling because their knowledge becomes rapidly outdated and they are required to re-learn things very rapidly and often.
- Causes of Technostress in the Workplace:
- Information overload: Information overload is a significant cause of technostress among employees. A regular inflow of notifications, emails, and other forms of digital communication hinders an employee’s concentration and impacts their workflow. The constant interruptions caused by techno-overload are especially bad for productivity. According to Deloitte, it takes 15-23 minutes to get back to productivity after an interruption.
- Constant connectivity: Employees in organizations with no set technological boundaries feel the need to always be connected and respond to communications immediately. This constant connectivity, especially outside work hours, causes technostress among employees.
- Rapidly change in technology: A sudden change in technology causes techno-uncertainty among employees in the organization. Employees can end up feeling stressed and anxious while trying to adopt the new technology introduced in their workplace. To ease this process, companies can introduce digital adoption platforms while determining a systematic plan for introducing new technology.
- Poor user experience and interface design: A poorly designed user interface can be confusing, leading to frustration and anxiety for users. Employees can find it hard to navigate from one task to another, reducing their productivity. This can lead to uncertainty, anxiety, and feeling lost or unsure of what to do next.
- Fear of technology: Technophobia arises when employees have to deal with technology that is not responsive, user-friendly, and lacks a feedback mechanism. The struggle to accomplish tasks in such a situation causes technostress among employees.
By accident I discovered an Article about Articles written about Technostress HERE, published online by Int J Environ Res Public Health; November 2020. The Article had a Graph that I just could not ignore and had to include it in mine.
Graph: Co-words Graph based on Keywords Plus (KWP)
The Internet has a plethora of articles about the Symptoms of Technostress which can be easily Googled, therefore I will list a few that are applicable to what I want to achieve with this article. Thanks to Wikipedia who provided me with exactly what I wanted, "Three Aspects of Technostress" [no References given]:
- Physical aspects:
- Eye strain,
- Backaches,
- Headaches,
- Stiff shoulders,
- Neck pain,
- joint pain,
- Dry mouth and throat,
- Muscle tension,
- Stomach discomfort,
- Keyboard related injuries,
- Chest pain,
- Rapid heart rate,
- Irritable bowel syndrome,
- Insomnia,
- Cervical pain;
- Hormonal and menstrual disorders in women;
- Increased blood pressure, and
- Difficulty breathing.
- Emotional aspects:
- Irritability,
- Loss of temper,
- Having a high state of anxiety,
- Feelings of indifference,
- Frustration,
- Lack of appreciation,
- Depression,
- Guilt,
- Crying spells;
- Feeling fearful,
- Apathy;
- Decreased sexual desire;
- Paranoia that leads to avoiding computers and
- Negative attitudes.
- Psychological aspects include composed of
- Information overload in order to find, analyze, evaluate, and apply it in the right context with resources,
- Underwork and routine jobs lead to frustrations when underemployed or when the work done involves only routine operations,
- Job security, where people have a fear that computers may replace human roles,
- Professional jealousy produced by technological competency,
- De-motivation due to prolonged periods of any technological activity,
- Uncertainty about job role caused by an increased time working with technology.
Reading the list of Symptoms is one thing, looking at it is another. Have a look at this Youtube Video, there might have been a time when you felt like doing the same or maybe just look at the Video when you feel like doing something similar.
These Symptoms presents a Challenge to the Computer Technology Industry, because they are not "Modern Symptoms" and according to the Definition of a Disease, they are not a "Distinctive group of symptoms, signs, or anatomical changes" that can ONLY be applied to Technostress. The other Challenge is that although it is relatively easy to MEASURE the Physical Aspects, Emotional and Psychological Aspects are Ambiguous because it is based on how a Person FEELS. Each of the Emotional and Psychological Aspects differ from Person to Person and there is nothing that can be used to MEASURE these Feelings Objectively in order to get Concrete Data that can be applied to the Average Person.
I remember a story my one Professor told us about the U.S. Army that invested Millions of Dollars to design the Perfect Cockpit for an Average Fighter Jet. They came up with specifications of what the Average Pilot looks like, height, weight, build etc. They designed the Cockpit according to those specifications, but soon realized that they couldn't find ANY Pilot with those Specifications and had no Pilots to fly the Jet with the "Average Cockpit".
3. IMPACT
Before listing a few aspects about the Impact Technostress has, there are three factors that need to be repeated and explained.
- Even though it is defined as a Disease caused by New Computer Technology, the Symptoms proves that the Underlying issue of Technostress is STRESS, which is a Disease in its own right. The Symptoms of Technostress are not that much different from someone who is just "Stressed Out". It's what Causes the Stress that sets Technostress apart from someone who is just experiencing normal Stress. Modern Humans need to learn how to Manage Stress because People can not evolve at the same rate as Technology (not just Computer Technology);
- Modern Humans, with all of their Scientific knowledge, have created environments where People get Stressed even without Computer Technology. People are also exposed to these "Stressors" from a younger age so by the time they enter the Job Market, it's almost a given that Stress will be part of the Job. Companies NEED to make Profits so it's about how much, how quickly and at what cost can a Company deliver a Product or Service. When you add Computer Technology Stressors, Technostress can almost be calculated as Normal Stress MULTIPLIED BY Stressors of Computer Technology.
- Technostress creators: From the point of view of psychological strain, technostress creators decrease the job satisfaction and organizational commitment and increase the role stress of the individual, thus reducing the individual’s sense of well-being and dedication at the workplace. In the context of behavioral strain, technostress creators reduce the productivity of the individual. Both of these types of strains exemplify general job-related outcomes from technostress creators. They occur because of the effects of ICT on organizational tasks, workflows, and processes [Impact of Technostress on End-User Satisfaction and Performance. Article in Journal of Management Information Systems · January 2011]
As I stated earlier in this article, Technostress is not a MODERN Disease, but a Disease affecting MODERN Humans. If a Person can not COPE with Stress, then they need help to learn how to Manage their Stress. To Manage Stress, Companies need to take cognizance of the Impact Technostress has on People in order for them to put measures in place to help People Manage Stress. Here are a few examples of the Impact Technostress can have:
- Decreased job satisfaction: When employees constantly struggle with the technology they have to work with, it causes technostress that makes them frustrated and anxious, leading to workplace conflicts, irritability, and decreased job satisfaction.
- Decreased productivity: Limited knowledge of the technology being used decreases the pace at which tasks are completed and impacts employee productivity. To deal with such situations, companies can organize training sessions and product walkthroughs to ensure employees are comfortable with the technology they use regularly.
- Increased absenteeism and turnover rates: Employees tend to lose motivation to work due to technostress. This can eventually lead to a high attrition rate in the organization. Hence, it is very important for companies to deal with technostress among their employees.
- Burnout: Job burnout is when employees feel emotionally exhausted or disillusioned with their work. Multiple studies link work-related stress with higher rates of burnout. Remote workers often feel the need to be “always on,” which increases the likelihood of burnout.
- Behavioral impacts: Technostress can lead to changes in behavior, including low initiative and low energy. A two-year study found that high IT demands led to cognitive problems like trouble concentrating or remembering things and poor decision-making.
NOW THAT YOU KNOW
40 Years ago the Psychologist Craig Brod introduced the concept of Technostress in his book "Technostress: the human cost of the computer revolution”. He called it a "Modern Disease" and hopefully I have managed to prove that Technostress is now more relevant and more researched than 20 years ago, but it's not the Disease that is Modern, it's a Modern Human Disease. Over the past 40 years, researchers and Scientists have debated the role of Technostress on People and Organizations, to the point where; "Today, technostress is considered to be multidimensional, and it is defined as 'a negative psychological state associated with the use or the 'threat' to use new technologies', which leads to 'anxiety, mental fatigue, skepticism, and sense of ineffectiveness” [Salanova M., Llorens S., Cifre E., Nogareda C. (2007). Technostress: Concept, Measurement and Prevention].
Technostress is a Condition with Physical, Emotional and Psychological Symptoms experienced by People. Computer Technology, Hardware and Software, have evolved rapidly over the past 40 years, with almost anything Mechanical containing some form of Computer Technology. Companies have benefited from the developments in Computer Technology, making them more Competitive, Profitable and more Productive. There is however ONE Outstanding aspect that has not been covered yet and this is the Positive and Negative Sub-Processes of Technostress. With the help of Wikipedia again, I can explain these Sub-Processes.
A recent study on Technostress reframes Technostress by conceptualizing it in terms of a Holistic Technostress process involving two critical subprocesses: The Techno-eustress Subprocess and The Techno-distress Subprocess [Califf, C. B., Sarker, S., & Sarker, S. (2020). The Bright and Dark Sides of Technostress: A Mixed-Methods Study Involving Healthcare IT. MIS Quarterly (MISQ)]. This holistic Technostress model frames Technostress as a process that hinges on individuals appraising environmental conditions as Challenge Techno-Stressors, defined as Techno-Stressors that individuals tend to appraise as related to promoting task accomplishment, or Hindrance Techno-Stressors, defined as Techno-Stressors that individuals tend to appraise as a barrier to task accomplishment. The Challenge and Hindrance Techno-Stressors are related to positive and negative psychological states in the individual, respectively, and in turn, positive and negative individual and organizational outcomes.
The Holistic Technostress Process Model:
[Califf, C. B., Sarker, S., & Sarker, S. (2020). The Bright and Dark Sides of Technostress: A Mixed-Methods Study Involving Healthcare IT. MIS Quarterly (MISQ)]
- "Challenge Techno-Stressors" are Techno-Stressors that individuals tend to appraise as related to promoting task accomplishment. Examples include usefulness and involvement facilitation.
- "Positive psychological responses" are positive psychological responses to a Techno-Stressor, as indicated by the presence of positive psychological states.
- "Positive outcomes" are positive individual and organizational consequences related to the positive psychological state of the individual. Examples include an increase in job satisfaction and a decrease in turnover intention.
3. The "Techno-Distress Subprocess" involves:
- "Hindrance techno-stressors" are Techno-Stressors that individuals tend to appraise as a barrier or obstacle to task accomplishment. Examples include unreliability, insecurity, and overload.
- "Negative psychological responses" are negative psychological responses to a Techno-Stressor, as indicated by the presence of negative psychological states.
- "Negative outcomes" are negative individual and organizational consequences related to the negative psychological state of the individual. Examples include a decrease in job satisfaction and an increase in attrition and turnover intention.
The Techno-Stressors, Psychological responses, and Outcomes are governed by Three Evaluation Processes:
- An "Appraisal process" is an intrapersonal process through which individuals appraise the technology-associated environmental conditions as challenges or hindrances.
- A "Decision process" is an intrapersonal process through which individuals decide how to respond either positively or negatively to the appraised Techno-Stressor. This process occurs before the psychological response but after the individual has determined if the environmental condition represents a challenge or hindrance Techno-Stressor.
- A "Performance process" is an intrapersonal process through which individuals decide how to act on their psychological response. This process occurs after the psychological response but before the individual determines his or her outcome.
I don't know why People always want to take "Something", make it a Model, and break it down into smaller Concepts, because everything I quoted above can be summarized into the following:
- Technostress is caused by Techno-Stressors which can either be classified as Challenge or Hindrance Techno-Stressors which are related to Positive or Negative Psychological States;
- There are Three factors to be considered as part of a Technostress Model: Environmental Conditions, The "Techno-Eustress Subprocess" and The "Techno-Distress Subprocess";
- Each part of the Technostress Model determines the Psychological State or Response to a Techno-Stressor by a Person;
- There are three Evaluation Processes which is based on the Psychological response of a Person and they are: An Appraisal Process; Decision Process and Performance Process.
It doesn't matter how far "they" would like to analyze a Model or how many Sub-Processes they want to add, because if you paid attention while reading, one thing is VERY CLEAR: Psychological State or Response of a Person. Humans are unique due to the fact that we have Emotions and/or Feelings and every Person has a different Emotional response, thereby making it Impossible to Measure Objectively. For that reason I didn't include "Treatments" for Technostress in this Article because it would differ from Person to Person. People need to use words to express their Psychological State, like "Frustrated", "Angry", "Hopeless" and on and on, but that doesn't mean when two People use the same word to describe their feelings that they ACTUALLY feel the same way and will react the same way.
In a way, Brod left us with an Oxymoron which I think is the driver behind the Increase in Research when Computer Technology started to Develop at a faster rate. Technostress is Psychological where a Disease is Physical, one can be Measured Objectively and the other one not. One can be Treated and cured while the other one can only be Managed. This leaves Companies with a Conundrum because even if they are aware of the Causes and implement Processes to help Employees Manage the Symptoms, the Impact of Technostress would remain Subjective.
QUO VADIS?
Do you remember this Graph?
I looked at it for hours. Not only because of Technostress, but also for the other Keywords around Technostress. The more I looked at it, the more fascinated I became. If I had to draw a picture of how my mind works, it will probably look something like this, although the Keywords will be different. Then one after the other, certain words started to stand out, almost teasing me to find out more about them.
Short Definitions:
Acceptance in human psychology is a person's recognition and assent to the finality of a situation without attempting to change or protest it. This plays out at both the individual and societal level as people experience change.
Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to use a drug or engage in a behavior that produces natural reward, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences.
Adoption is the act of accepting, embracing, or starting to use something, as an idea, behavior, characteristic, or principle.
Satisfaction is the pleasant feeling you get when you receive something you wanted, or when you have done or are doing something you wanted to do.
Behavior is the range of actions and mannerisms made by individuals, organisms, systems or artificial entities in some environment. These systems can include other systems or organisms as well as the inanimate physical environment.
Consequence is something that happens as a result of a particular action or set of conditions.
Personality refers to the enduring characteristics and behavior that comprise a person's unique adjustment to life, including major traits, interests, drives, values, self-concept, abilities, and emotional patterns.
Your Dark Side is the messier, flawed or less pleasant side of who you are. Most of us do our best to hide this side of who we are from others and to some extent, even from ourselves. This part of us often lives deep below the surface of our awareness, in the murky waters of our unconscious mind.
After reading and re-reading the definitions, while wondering why these words stood out and what makes THEM relevant, I remembered something I read about Dolphins. Yes - DOLPHINS! Here are some things I learned about Dolphins:
- Dolphins have to actively decide when to breathe, like Whales, making them "Voluntary Breathers".
- Dolphins only allow one half of their brain to sleep at a time, with only one eye closed.
- The Orca is actually a Dolphin.
- Dolphins use tools.
- Dolphins sleep 8 hours per day.
- Dolphins are not monogamous.
The first item on the list is what caused me to re-read the definitions again and I realized that some words imply Voluntary Actions and others not.
Voluntary Actions:
- Acceptance;
- Addiction;
- Adoption; and
- Behavior.
Involuntary Actions:
- Behavior;
- Satisfaction;
- Consequence;
- Personality; and
- Dark Side.
Almost immediately I thought that these words can also be divided between Psychological and Physical.
Psychological:
- Acceptance;
- Behavior;
- Satisfaction;
- Personality; and
- Dark Side.
Physical:
- Addiction;
- Adoption; and
- Consequence.
There had to be more to this, which led me to do this:
I almost impressed myself. In trying to identify the Keywords as either a Cause, Symptom or Impact of Technostress, I noticed the following:
- Everything that Causes Technostress, are Voluntary Actions;
- All the Involuntary Actions are Psychological responses;
- All the Voluntary Actions are Physical responses;
- Physical responses are split between Cause and Symptom;
- The Impact of Technostress is Involuntary and Psychological.
I made the statement that Technostress is a Psychological Disorder that should be Managed and a Disease is Physical and can be Treated. When you treat a Disease, you look for the Cause of the Disease to find a Cure. According to my simplified model, the Causes of Technostress are Voluntary Actions, whether they have Psychological or Physical responses. I also argued that there is nothing that can be used to Measure Psychological Responses Objectively and I can now argue that the Impact of Technostress leads to Involuntary Actions. Involuntary Actions can not be predicted because they lead to Psychological Responses.
Remember Brod's definition of Technostress was "a modern disease of adaptation caused by inability to cope with new computer technologies in a healthy manner". I can therefore redefine Technostress as:
Modern Humans' Physical response to the Voluntary Actions caused by the Introduction of New Computer Technologies without Managing the Psychological responses of People.
FIN
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