Discussions about people at work - primarily business psychology, including the human side of outsourcing.
Is technology stressing us out?
Posted 6th September 2007 at 15:24 by Stephanie
Chatting to some chamber members yesterday and it was suggested that technology is the main reason we are all so stressed out. Job losses, insecurity and so on were also laid at the door of new technology (is that good English?). So has it made our lives easier or turned our world into a nightmare?
Well, I agree people's expectations are much greater now - they know we have instant access to emails anywhere (almost) in the world, and that most of us have mobile phones on 24/7 (except when that crucial call comes in, when we run out of power of course!)
So I think setting expectations can be an important part of relieving stress, tell people we are on holiday and do not plan to visit the internet cafe on the beach!
On the other hand, perhaps people are not that easily stalled...and Heidegger (the philosopher for those not keen on matrix style what is reality type discussions) did suggest a long time ago that technology would create distance not bring us together.
Some academics suggest that stress at work has been over-emphasised, indeed I know one who argues it doesn't exist (well, quite rightly he suggests definitions are unclear) and some people seem to thrive on 'stress' anyway. Also timescales may be important, it must have been pretty 'stressful' working in the factories 14 hours a day without enough money to buy food and so on during the industrial 'revolution'. (But I suppose you can blame technology there too!)
A small point though - or perhaps not so small - perhaps it all depends what work you do and what sort of person you are? The person concerned mentioned that when he worked as a programmer many years ago he just did 9-5 - now he runs his own business and everyone expects him to be available 24-7.
Well, I worked in the computer industry and it was completely manic with many a lost night spent with bits of computers or bits of code all over the place because it had to be up by the next day - and that was nearly 30 years ago! (giving away your age again now...)
And running your own business does mean you have to be available and reactive etc., to ensure you keep clients - has that changed?
I guess I am being a bit of a devil's advocate here, as I agree there are some problems with this internet world, where some people prefer to buy everything online, and those without become disenfranchised.
What do others think - is technology to blame?
Well, I agree people's expectations are much greater now - they know we have instant access to emails anywhere (almost) in the world, and that most of us have mobile phones on 24/7 (except when that crucial call comes in, when we run out of power of course!)
So I think setting expectations can be an important part of relieving stress, tell people we are on holiday and do not plan to visit the internet cafe on the beach!
On the other hand, perhaps people are not that easily stalled...and Heidegger (the philosopher for those not keen on matrix style what is reality type discussions) did suggest a long time ago that technology would create distance not bring us together.
Some academics suggest that stress at work has been over-emphasised, indeed I know one who argues it doesn't exist (well, quite rightly he suggests definitions are unclear) and some people seem to thrive on 'stress' anyway. Also timescales may be important, it must have been pretty 'stressful' working in the factories 14 hours a day without enough money to buy food and so on during the industrial 'revolution'. (But I suppose you can blame technology there too!)
A small point though - or perhaps not so small - perhaps it all depends what work you do and what sort of person you are? The person concerned mentioned that when he worked as a programmer many years ago he just did 9-5 - now he runs his own business and everyone expects him to be available 24-7.
Well, I worked in the computer industry and it was completely manic with many a lost night spent with bits of computers or bits of code all over the place because it had to be up by the next day - and that was nearly 30 years ago! (giving away your age again now...)
And running your own business does mean you have to be available and reactive etc., to ensure you keep clients - has that changed?
I guess I am being a bit of a devil's advocate here, as I agree there are some problems with this internet world, where some people prefer to buy everything online, and those without become disenfranchised.
What do others think - is technology to blame?
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Is technology to blame? What an interesting question! I think the answer is an emphatic "NO"! Technology on its own won't cause stress. It's really about how it's used or, perhaps, abused.
For example, the development of email has given us a fabulous tool for communication (bearing in mind the ease with which the intention of the written word can be misunderstood). However, if good protocols aren't established within a business or even in your private life, email can take over. Many people have their computers set to let them know the instant an email pops into their intray - something appears on screen to inform them of the new arrival or a sound plays or even a ghostly image of the first few lines of the latest addition appears, or maybe even all three! Immediately, they drop what they're doing and open the mail, disrupting whatever flow they had at that moment. Perhaps people feel the need to feel needed... Effective time management suggests that you look at your emails at particular times of the day. How desperate can an email be that it needs to be dealt with immediately? Surely if someone is so keen to get you response to something, they can phone you. It seems that people have become heavily over-reliant on email in a very short space of time. I even came across a person who emailed her colleague to find out when she was going to lunch and her colleague sat right opposite her. Madness! I could write reams about this kind of thing, but perhaps a blog on the subject might be more appropriate. Suffice to say that I think we have become slaves to technology rather than the other way around. If we use it properly, we can really benefit, gaining time, easing our workload to allow all-important human interaction and actually reducing stress. The other side of the argument is that many people thrive on pressure which can be a very positive thing. We all need it to drive us and provide a measure of motivation. Stress, however, is a negative thing with potentially damaging consequences. Perhaps another blog is calling... Take three deep breaths and relax... Simon |
Posted 11th September 2007 at 13:54 by Simon Donnelly
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Recent Blog Entries by Stephanie
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