Coping With Technological Change

New Technology = New Stresses for the Individual 1. Negative Side Effects – Canadians embrace new technologies without really thinking about the consequences of the technology itself. E.g. pornography & hate propaganda on the internet, or a way for pedophiles to find children –

Continued… 2. Keeping up with the speed of change – Alvin Toffler – “future shock” – the dizzying disorientation brought on by the premature arrival of the future and the eventual massive adaptation breakdown – Stephen Bertman – hyperculture – the staggering rate of change in modern technological society which leads to values of society becoming blurred – E.g. people become impatient, deterioration of the family –

Continued… 3. Overdependence on Technology – Weil & Rossen – Technostress – We rely so heavily on machines that when they do not do what we want them to do, we experience great stress/anxiety Technostress – an overblown dependency or attachment to technology Can cause phobias & addiction Kimberly Young – “Cyber Disorders” – Centre of Online & Internet Addiction Website Addictive internet use leads to social isolation, increased depression, familial discord, divorce, academic failure, debt & job loss

Learning to Cope With Technological Change William Ogburn – theory of cultural lag – Acceptance of technology follows a 3-phase process: invention, discovery, diffusion – If all three phases can be verified then technology has been successfully integrated into society, but while some members of society adapt to technological innovations, others lag behind or resist change – New technology temporarily destabilizes society & until it adapts, a period of transition occurs – 2 Methods of Coping: 1. Accept technology & become active in its implementation 2. Oppose new technology & do everything they can to halt its progress

Recognizing the Process Not all new technology is accepted – depends on timing – society must be willing to embrace whatever it has to offer Knowledge & analysis – to understand impact of technology on our daily lives Introduction of a new medium follows 4 laws: – 1. Enhances/accelerates a certain process/thing – 2. Renders another process/thing obsolete – 3. Retrieves something that was previously obsolete – 4. Flips into something entirely new when pushed to its extreme

Evaluating the Impacts of Technology on our Lives Possible solutions/coping mechanisms – Resist the powerful pull of technology by intelligently evaluating its impact on our lives – Step back and take a week off to recharge – Preserve family traditions, national/world history – Avoid becoming slaves to machines – set boundaries and create downtime