What Is Technostress?

 

As an entrepreneur, Spencer Schar will recognize all too well the importance of achieving a healthy work-life balance. This article will look at technostress, exploring the impact that increasingly digitized workplaces can have on the mental health of employees.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of common mental health conditions rose by 25% globally and has not abated since pandemic measures eased, a report from HR Grapevine reveals. With more employees than ever before equipped with laptops, tablets, and mobile phones, workers are connected at all hours of the day and night, including holidays and weekends. According to HR Grapevine’s research, 47% of UK employees cite complications at work or technology issues as having a negative impact on their mental health.

Coined by Craig Brod in his 1984 book Techno Stress: The Human Cost of The Computer Revolution, technostress is a state triggered by a computerized workplace that negatively impacts employees, altering workers’ wellbeing and attitudes. Brod defined the condition as a modern disease of adaption, attributing it to an inability to cope with new computer technologies in a healthy manner. In his book, Craig Brod explains that technostress manifests itself as a constant struggle to catch up and adapt to a computerized society that transforms people into a machine-like state.

Almost 40 years on from Brod’s book, which was written at a time when computer technology was increasingly being integrated into workforces around the world, technostress remains a pernicious threat to the productivity, wellbeing, and health of employees.

Technostress manifests itself in five key ways:

1.     Techno-invasion, with smart devices making employees available 24/7, blurring the lines between home and work.

2.     Techno-overload, with technological advancements culminating in a constant stream of information that can be overwhelming.

3.     Techno-complexity, with employees pressured to sign up to complex new systems and platforms they may struggle with.

4.     Tech-uncertainty, with some employees left overwhelmed by frequent tech upgrades.

5.     Tech-insecurity, leaving workers feeling anxious and even in fear of losing their jobs to AI-driven tools.

All of these different types of technostress can result in mental and even physical health symptoms that undermine productivity. As workplaces around the world become ever more demanding, HR directors are becoming increasingly concerned about the consequences of an “always on” lifestyle, with employees glued to their digital devices. Technostress is becoming more and more common as a direct result of reliance on technology, and the onus is increasing falling on the employer to help shield workers from the negative effects of technostress.