Technology Stress

In 1899 the Commissioner for the US Office of Patents said “Everything that can be invented has already been invented”

 Technology is just going crazy; it’s proliferating out of control.

Recently my granddaughter just had her 5th birthday; her parents bought her a computer. A desktop 830 microprocessor with a 16 Terabyte hard drive, 36” flat screen monitor. Isn’t that incredible, it’s unbelievable, I remember my 5th birthday my father bought me one of those wooden paddles with an elastic string and a rubber ball on the end. I broke it the first day but he found another use for it.

 In 1981 Bill Gates said “Who in their right mind would ever need more the 640K of RAM. Computers, IPOD’s, IPADS, cell phones, internet, blackberry’s or, crackberries, all of these have increased the expectation of greater production. There is so much more pressure to do more and everyone is under this constant mental stress and never mind the ability or inability to keep up with technological breakthroughs that are happening every day.

 What is the result of all this technology on us worker bees? STRESS my friends that’s what it is, even if your one of the bees that love it. We are expected to be plugged in, turned on, charged up and ready to go like the Eveready energizer bunny.

 Friends, those jokes about people not being able to program a VCR are not jokes, I can’t do it. I think the #1 reason to have children these days is so parents will have their own in house computer technicians to help them. My son is fond of telling me that some day he will be picking out my senior home and as long as he comes over to set up my computer, WIFI and DVR I don’t mind.

 The cost of stress has been pegged at over $150 billion for stress-related factors like absenteeism or other health issues.

 My personal experience is that the willing horse gets all the work and basically the reward for good work is more work. Good workers have a problem saying no to more work. Technology was supposed to be our friend, to make our jobs and lives easier, but then it was supposed to save trees too. My friends, as a police officer and Employee assistance Peer, I have seen first hand the carnage that stress leaves in its wake. Poor health, heart attacks, cancer and even suicide. It’s not one particular incident that brings on life threatening stressful situations; it’s usually when several factors come together, such as relationships, deaths, work and change in your workplace.

 The deepest & darkest depths of stress I ever encountered was when I lost my mother and stepfather within a month of each other. 2 weeks later while still grieving a good friend and fellow officer was experiencing an even deeper depression and made a poor decision taking his own life. He lived blocks from me and I had to attend the scene and witness the carnage that stress had brought upon that family.

 At the time we were experiencing considerable change in the workplace with computer systems, rightsizing, the volume of work was high and you could cut the stress in the air as it was that heavy. His decision was not based on work alone but I know it was a factor.

 I have seen other officers leave who would not have gone had we not undergone such reliance on technological tools as they just didn’t have the aptitude to deal with them. Knowing the depth of the stress that I was going through myself, I turned to prayer and renewed my baptismal promises to God. He will never give you more than you can handle and believe me you can handle alot but with him by your side you will get through it. And as the old saying goes “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”. Now I measure my workload and balance it with other priorities such as my family, being a Deacon in the Church, golf and exercise.

 Is technology a laughing matter? Well maybe it should be? We know that Humor and laughing releases endorphins making us feel better, more confident, and make them feel good.

 Maybe we need to inject more humor into the workplace to bring down our stress.

 What can you do about stress..

There is no simple solution but you can relax and put down your techno tools from time to time. Take the time to be with family and friends, distress yourself. Identify no go locations where your gadgets are banned. No seriously my friends its time to start putting a limit on your techno tools.

No wonder productivity is up in the workplace, for around $1200 a year your boss can give you a Crackberry.

 “Psst Hey buddy want to look cool, here just try it, everyone’s doing it. It won’t kill you, it’s great, you can handle it, just try a couple of megabytes.”

 Bang, you’re hooked, he’s a crackberry pusher - and how can you tell if you’re becoming an addict, well ..

1. Are you taking your blackberry to the bathroom with you, if you are remember its not entirely a paperless process.

1. Are you making calls from the stalls in the bathroom, every time I go to the washroom in the airport I hear people talking in the stalls and their not talking to me.

 Creeping technology is going to continue and while we have to be ready and even embrace it. That doesn’t mean that we have to let it control our lives after all they are meant to make our lives easier and almost anything can become an addiction. God, your health, your family these are the important things.

Don’t put yourself into a situation where you have to join a 12 step program for users like AA, I can see it now, “Hi my name is Deacon Dan and I’m a techno junkie…..”