By Yoon Ja-young
Staff Reporter
The development of computers and other technology have generally made our lives more comfortable, but it doesn't always seem to be so. Over half of the nation's workers are suffering from "techno stress," a survey has shown.
According to Job Korea, a job market information provider, 66.8 percent of workers said the development of technology had added to their stress levels.
"Techno stress refers to the psychological burden that a worker feels when he or she fails to cope with new technology," an executive at Job Korea said.
She added that techno stress comes in either of two ways - "techno dependency" where people immerse themselves too much in computers and other up-to-date devices; and "techno uneasiness," which affects people who aren't accustomed to new technology. Both of these are the root causes of "techno stress."
The survey showed that young office workers, ranging from entry to mid-level manager level, were likely to be stressed out because they relied too much on new gadgets.
These people feel uneasy whenever they don't have cell phones, PMPs or computers in their hands. They spend nights looking for information on new gizmos on the market, and feel pressure to learn about them as soon as possible. Some of them complain of dizziness or sleepless nights after using such devices all day.
Over half of those at the managerial level, meanwhile, were afraid that they had been left behind in the era of technology. These people, suffering from "techno uneasiness," said they felt marginalized among colleagues who are comfortable using devices, adding they lacked self confidence as they couldn't catch up with the laptops and smart phones that their company encourages them to use. They feared that they were not adapting themselves, and had an aversion toward the devices. Some of them even mentioned suffering from headaches and insomnia.