Rhiannon Sedun, Monica Baliey ,Brittany Humphry, Stefani Narfason, Nafilia Panjwani

Topic

The Impact of Technology on Workplace Stress

- - Problem Statement: What effect does the increased prevalence of communication technology in the work place have on people's day-to-day levels of stress?

Team Information

Team Name:

"TechnoSTRESSors"

Team Members:

Rhiannon - rasedun@ucalgary.ca

Monica - mkbailey@ucalgary.ca

Brittany - bnhumphr@ucalgary.ca

Stefani - sknarfas@ucalgary.ca

Nafilia - npanjwan@ucalgary.ca

Introduction

A day in the life of the modern worker:

Let’s say five years from now, you get a call at five in the morning; you’re to be at work by six sharp. Things are a little backed up at the office. You see that your laptop is blinking; forty seven emails just came in. Honestly, who writes emails at this hour? Anyhow, you sleepily scan through them, everybody has different questions and requests! You get through the first eight but get hungry. Breakfast would be good, you head to the freezer grab something frozen that can be heated in the microwave, you don’t have time to cook anymore. The microwave asks, defrost or heat up? Uhm, you want it to do both, but is there a button for that?! You turn on the TV, apparently all the roads are backed up as everyone’s GPS has crashed at once. You sigh, gather your computer, your phone and all your other devices and head to your car. You make sure your iPod is hooked up to the stereo as it’s the only thing that’s going to get you through the traffic without you calling it a day and heading back to bed.

Technology as has a growing influence on our daily lives, bringing people to both depend on it and overuse it. People today are constantly e-mailing, texting and learning new forms of technology, created to try and make life easier. But, is life becoming easier with the use of technology or is it producing a stress problem?

Argument

Technology allows people to bring work home with them, this generates stress. People are now able to bring their never ending tasks with them everywhere they go. With laptops and cell phones that are built like miniature computers, communication with employers and fellow employees never stops. People are now, in a sense, working twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. There is never an actual break or vacation from their busy careers, which in today’s society it is most needed. As well, technology brings stress to the generations that didn’t grow up with Gameboys and cell phones. Now that society is becoming more dependent on technology it becomes harder for those that do not understand it to get adjusted. It can be anything from using a certain type of appliance to buying your first computer at the age of sixty four. Most gadgets, devices and machines now come with instruction booklets that look like novels and an overwhelming feeling of confusion.

The graph on the right shows the increase in stress over a decade. We are proposing that technology is the cause of the increase, it is generating stress for those that both overuse it as well as those that do not understand it.

Evolution of Technology

Back in the day, life seemed to be a little simpler. There were fewer computers, less cell phones, and therefore less stress. The office day would be over the second someone would walk out of the office. All this talk about technology causing stress may be true, however, in today’s day in age it would be impossible to live without all the improvements that have come our way. Our society is a well developed one and would not be considered a “developed country” if everyone had not put in the time and effort to make new improvements and discoveries, especially with medical advancements. Technology has made life a little easier and may even be a little more efficient when it comes to time. All technology advancements have made things work faster and therefore taking up less and less of our time, which in today’s day in age is very valuable. Also, cell phones and other advancements having to do with communication, have made it way easier to communicate with each other especially companies and organizations that need to communicate with people across the world on an important notice. Although these factors are all key elements to surviving in our society, there are also many elements that involve decreasing technology use in order to also survive.

This chart shows the top causes of stress in computer users within the workplace. As you can see, there are many negative effects that technology advances can have on employees. Technological advances and the resulting dependency on technology in the workplace has caused a huge increase in workers’ stress levels .

The United Nations' International Labor Organization has defined workplace stress as a "global epidemic", signifying the importance of this issue. Technology causes stress in many different ways and in varying degrees but how much is too much? Studies have shown that some stress is beneficial to people and pushes them to be efficient and to make better decisions. When we surpass that level of stress and do so on a regular basis in the workplace we are more likely to have difficulty concentrating, have a higher chance of accidents, lose motivation, become defensive and confrontational, have conflict in proffesional and personal relationships, and reduce productivity. With the new communication technology that has emerged over the last fifteen years, we see more of a blur between the division of home and work. More and more companies supply their employees with mobile phones, laptops and other forms of communication technology. The most popular mobile device in business is the Blackberry. A technology which, among many other advanced features, is universal. With Blackberrys' people can be contacted almost anywhere in the world, and at any time of day or night. Due to this aspect of the device, people are also expected to read and respond to their emails constantly. Another result is that people are even contacted when they're on vacation! In this ever increasingly stressful world people need to take periodic breaks more than ever to cope with their increasing demands and constantly high stress levels.

The purpose of technology is to increase efficiency and simplify our lives but all of the effects of too much stress counteract the benefits of technology. We have technologies such as email and fax machines which make it possible to send information to someone across the world in a matter of seconds but in the work-world of “immediate response required” these technologies make the expectations of workers unrealistic. So let's discuss some effects on individuals from the changes in accessibility and expectations due to technology.

Effects of Increasing Prevalence of Technology in the Workplace

The 2 major problems with technology, over-communication and inability to adapt, are huge factors in increased workplace stress. Stress in the workplace is necessary for high levels of performance. It becomes a major problem for employers however, when the level of stress gets to such a high point that productivity is actually decreasing. The hill shaped graph on the left shows this idea of the optimal level of stress for the optimal level of productivity. As you can see, with the excessive amount of stress caused by today's technology, people often become anxiety ridden and disorganized.

New communication technology is having an increasing influence on the rhythm of our daily lives as the border between our personal and work lives becomes more and more blurred. Work hours cannot even be properly counted as the number of hours spent at home checking emails and getting alerts of things to be done is ever increasing. According to a recent study done by STATS Canada, stress increases absenteeism. Individuals who feel very stressed are 2.4 times more likely to take a leave than those not overly stressed. Stress following employees home through their communication technology is found to lead to depression, which is the leading cause of workers taking disability days off.

Stress and the sleep deprivation caused by it often result in an increase in the occurrence of on-the-job accidents or errors. With the pressure of always knowing what you have to do and receiving reminders of it, people can become tired and this is prime time for accidents. Also, when a new technology is being mastered, there is no way to control how many initial errors will be made. Eye strain can cause momentary black outs of vision, which are, for obvious reasons a problem.

Many employees experience severe eyestrain from staring at computer screens for hours on end and in extreme cases migraine headaches may develop. These come from long hours of constant computer use. Staring at computer screens can cause slight vision declines in the long run. The almost imperceptible flicker caused by computer screens has been established as a major cause of annoyance,

headaches and general irritation. Even in a worker's peripheral vision, this can influence the general productivity during work at the office. Another problem that arises from the overuse of computers and cell phones is cramping fingers and hands which can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome in extreme cases. The overuse of the hands in the case of these modern technologies is a factor in the likelihood of getting this disease, a severe pressure on the nerves in one's wrists due to overuse.

Technology also can have adverse impacts on employee’s personal lives as the constant ringing cell phone can lead to disruptions and disagreements outside of the workplace. More and more people are taking calls during dinnertime and bringing their phones on vacation. This, although voluntary, is a way of having a constant tie to the workplace and the never ending responsibilities that come along with it. There is no way for a person to truly relax when off the job, when there is a constant reminder of it. With the introduction of blackberries, emails can be received anywhere in the world, and although this is an obvious convenience, the stress of it never lets up.

Solutions

Some solutions to reducing your stress caused by technology devices such as cell phones and email are:

Allocate your time properly, have a time for work and time to be with your family. This is one of the most important key solutions on reducing stress. Don’t let your jobs accessibility takeover your life!

Turn it OFF!! Whether it’s your email or cell phone turn it off so you don’t have that constant desire to want to answer it. This is one of the most difficult mindsets to establish because we have that desire that we need to answer it. We think we’re so important that without our response the world can’t continue. Remember these devices are here to serve us, not for us to serve it.

Have devices that are simpler to use and provide you with customer service. Buy systems that come with installation that way it gets done right (most of the time) and you don’t have to worry about it.

If you don’t understand how to use technology well and are interested in learning how to use it properly they’re many courses available to do so.

If you must be at the office for several endless hours keep the following in mind.

Stress in the workplace can lead to several problems and symptoms over time if ignored. Some symptoms are anxiety, lack of concentration, poor judgment, frustration and anger. Some common illnesses are Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, insomnia, high blood pressure, muscle tension, low and upper back problems and headaches and eyestrains. If symptoms go untreated it may lead to severe physical illnesses and could even lead to death. Thankfully scientists and researchers had found simple ways for people to manage their stress levels and reduce their symptoms that stress causes. Some techniques that help manage stress according to the healthy Workplace Campaign are:

1.Simple stretching exercises:

-Like rotating your wrists, head, feet, shoulders

-Bring up your knee towards your chest and holding it there for 30 seconds then switch legs

-bend down and touch your toes

-scrunch your fingers

This creates blood flow throughout the body and helps loosen tense muscles.

2.Correct the way in which you breathe. Breathe with your diaphragm instead of with your nose alone. In through the nose and out through the mouth.

3.Take breaks- This is very important, you should take a 15 minute break every couple hours. If you have been sitting too long or staring for awhile at your computer, get up walk around and remember to blink often so your eyes don’t dry up. This will also help your concentration.

Comic Relief

Although there are many issues stemming out of the development of new workplace technologies, especially in the area of communication technology, at this point in society, serious criticism is rarely used. Humor and comics are employed to get across the points of concerned individuals.

To deal with all the eye strain from your computer screen, eye rolls are the best...in private that is...

With all the new communication technology, there is no need for this "balance", we, your employers can be with you all the time!

People are using technology to bring work with them everywhere they go!

And, some people just need to get a little acquainted with technology to reduce their increasing stress and paranoia...

After all this research, we have actually concluded that the best thing to do with your computer and all the problems it creates is to follow the example of this dedicated employee...

Conclusion

There are many pros and cons to the creation of technology. Since technology has a constant influence on the daily lives of millions, it is important that people organize their use of it to keep them from becoming stressed. Technology can keep people up to date with new ideas and information, but when overused a problem arises. The acknowledgment of this problem can help society to become less dependent on technology and avoid future stress problems.