THE NEW FASHION: TECNOPHILIA

                                 WHAT IS TECNOPHILIA ? 

For many of us life, without computers is unimaginable! The first thing that almost 90% of the knowledge workforce does when it gets to work is turn on the computer and check the email! Those are the lucky ones! Many others live with pagers, beepers, and wireless devices 24-hours a day. If life without computers were unimaginable, life without microchips would be, simply speaking, miserable. Our remote car keys help us to open car doors from a distance; our microwaves are programmed to pop the perfect popcorn; music is no longer just turning on the radio; telephone manuals read like instructions for a nuclear reactor; VCRs and DVD players are humiliating experiences as highly intelligent individuals learn how to play a tape or a DVD; the list is endless! In a world where an overdose of technology is considered normal and healthy, the idea of technophobia, fear of computers and related technologies, sounds almost alien and unnatural. Yet it is an issue that affects many people, many of who don't even know they have it!

Technophobia, like other phobias, is fear or intense dislike, for technology. It invokes a wide range of negative emotions, such as anxiety, incompetence, fear, stress and nervousness. We are only now beginning to comprehend the existence of this phenomenon and its far-reaching consequences on individuals, organizations and even entire societies by minimizing their ability to reap the rich rewards of technology.

To understand technophobia, we must first understand the invasion of technology into our personal and professional lives. Many other industrial events and advancements in the history of mankind took place at a steady and understandable pace. Technology, however, was behind the scenes one day and in our faces the next. Take for example, the printing press, the automobile, flying, highways, and medicine. Progress in these fields gave men and women to adjust their mindsets to a new and evolving world. In other words, growth and change in these domains has, to a large extent, gone through what we call the human life cycle: birth, infancy, adolescence, and maturity. In technology, however, the change for many individuals has been from birth to maturity. And just when they think they have a grasp on it, the world of technology handles another baby to them, only that this one has four legs and six eyes! Hence it is no surprise that individuals are overwhelmed with technology.

Why should anyone care about technophobia? Technophobia affects all of us to different degrees. If you are a manager who is pushing for technology in your organization, then individuals who are technophobic can slow you down, and in some cases, even prevent you from achieving your goals. We often tend to classify such individuals as "slow to change," "unwilling to accept new responsibilities," "too traditional and conservative." In fact, these may be individuals who like the end result of technology but are simply afraid to embrace technology. If you are technophobic, then life at work can be stressful and anxiety-driven. While the rest of the world appears to be moving ahead, there is a sense of rapidly being left behind and the idea of playing catch-up leads to more frustration, anxiety, and despair. So regardless of which end of the spectrum you may fall, technophobia affects you.

What are some symptoms of technophobia?

Fear of computers and related technologies

Resistance to automating processes

Unwillingness to change from one system to another or one software to another.

Highly critical of any technology changes or implementations

Passive resistance to new technology initiatives

Unwilling to attend training classes

Slow to learn new technologies

Providing excuses for not attending training sessions

Relentlessly arguing the lack of need for technologies

Pleading "the old way is the best way!"

Convincing colleagues that "I have made it this far without technology. Why now?"

These are few of the many ways in which technophobia can manifest itself in the organization. In many cases, individuals are unaware that these are symptoms of techno phobia and even if they are aware, understandably many individuals are reluctant to admit their phobia.