Let's talk about the "fear" of technology. The fear of using certain devices. Technophobia manifests itself in a resistance to talking or interacting with technology. It causes us anxiety, as well as hostile thoughts, and all of this is cooked up on a mental level, so fighting it is complicated, like with any other fear.
Technophobia has many effects ranging from anxiety and stress to fear
“Within the scientific and academic literature, the term ‘technophobia’ has been used as a synonym for technostress, fear and anxiety of computers, cyberphobia and phobia,” explains Conchi Castellanos, Doctor in Psychology, Experimental and Behavioral Neuroscience, at the University of Granada. Why computers, in particular? Mainly, because it was the most modern technology when the studies began, in the 80s, when the term became popularLater, with the introduction of new technologies, the space for technological development expands.
Therefore, it can also be defined as “an irrational fear and/or anxiety that occurs in response to new stimuli derived from a technology that modifies and/or changes the normal (routine) or previous way in which the person performs a given task.
In this case, it is not that we were afraid of a car or a robot because it seemed terrifying (something that generally happens in movies and not so much in real life), but that it would be a technological advance that we do not control, which would cause us that fear, stress or anxiety that later translates as fear.
What part of technology exactly can we be afraid of?
This idea is reinforced by the experience of Aurora Gómez, a psychologist specializing in digital behavior: “The fear of robots, for example, is due to a lack of self-esteem in technology, due to a lack of skills. They see something that is complex and that they cannot act on, and what they do is avoid it.” Technophobia should not be confused with “ideological” movements: we are not talking about the fear when some people say that “they don’t want machines because they will take their jobs.”
In her therapy sessions, Gómez reveals this technology phobia on many occasions. And she calls it a phobia because it literally causes irrational fear and a stress response in people who experience it: "These are people who come to work and are forced to use technology. They can use certain areas, but not all of them. They don't make doctor's appointments, they don't use it for vacation, for bank accounts, etc. In these people, a resistance is developing that is getting worse." She also adds that in her case, the profile that most reveals that they go through this type of transition is women.
"They start by saying they don't want online therapy because they're bad at technology. The first couple of sessions can be a mess to connect with; they want to use their cell phone more than their computer, or they start saying they'll pay physically, with an envelope, or they'll deposit the money in the bank," he says. He even gives the example of a patient who completed her university studies using her cell phone to complete her assignments, so she wouldn't have to use her computer.
Common symptoms of technophobia: from physical effects like sweating to anxiety and blockages
The next phase of the effects of this irrational fear can be reflected in a psychotic outbreak, as Gómez points out: “Every time a new technology appears, people think that it can be used to transmit their thoughts and make them public, so “one of the characteristics of the outbreak is that they are afraid of being spied on.” In this case, we move to a type of fear related to our privacy, rather than the inability to handle technology.
Among the main symptoms associated with this technology phobia, Dr. Castellanos refers to those collected in a study conducted in the 90s : sweaty palms, palpitations and headaches while interacting with a computer; an apparent feeling of calm and relaxation that is actually accompanied by “a bombardment of negative thoughts and messages such as ‘everyone knows how to do this except me’ or ‘I’m going to press the wrong key and break the machine’; and anxiety created by a lack of knowledge about using the machine.
Do you identify with any of these symptoms or with the more general explanations for the fear of technology? You may think that this type of phobia is more common in the elderly due to a generational problem, but the truth is that anyone can suffer from it. For this reason, Gómez gives us some guidelines to act against it: follow the training in the adult school in which digital education classes are taught; work on that literacy in other spaces where we feel safe and also, most importantly, seek help in the psychological environment.
Full article at cursed.es