Are you a person who is scared of technology? You probably might have technophobia. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about technophobia(phobia of technology).
Technophobia is just an opposite of Technophilia. What is the Technophobia definition according to Wikipedia? Technophobia is a fear or dislike of advanced technology or complex devices like computers. In simple words, fear of technology is called technophobia.
Technophobia Is Also Known as Technofear.
- A. True
- B. False
Larry Rosen, a research psychologist, computer educator, and professor at California State University refers to three major subcategories of technophobes: the uncomfortable users, cognitive computerphobes, and anxious computerphobes.
History of Technophobia
The period of Industrial Revolution is when technophobia started to gain attention. This period is a transition to new manufacturing processes in Europe and the US. The introduction of new machineries that can perform more skillfully than a human created a fear among workers. Even after World War 2, the fear of technology continued to grow. Along with the growth of technology, people started noticing unusual changes in nature. In the 1980s is when the depletion of the ozone layer, global warming, and other negative environmental changes started to be taken more seriously.
Symptoms of Technophobia
- You might always think about using the technology in the wrong way.
- You might refuse to use any devices.
- You might always criticize the technology and its evolutions.
- You might get anxious while using technology.
Why are people afraid of technology? To be honest, we all are in some way afraid of the evolving technology. Imagine if someone could spy you through your webcam. And what about the times when you just randomly talk about Nike’s newly launched shoes through the phone and you get it as an Instagram advertisement? We all still doubt that someday we all might be replaced by technology. Isn’t it scary? This proves that somehow we all have at least a little bit of technophobia. Now, is it any wonder people are afraid of technology?
Majority of technology phobia occurs in the older generation. This is probably because they did not grow up with technology and it is a sudden addition to their human-only lifestyle and they do not have the time and necessity to get to know about the technology.
Why Is Technophobia Increasing?
- We all live in a society that accepts us only if we have a proper understanding of technology.
- Another major reason is that we all want to fit into the group as no-one here wants to feel left behind.
- We are in a society that would mock a person if he/she does not know to operate a device.
These are only a very practical few reasons but there are so much more. We forget to understand that this can gradually lower our self-esteem and confidence.
How to Overcome Technophobia?
- If you admit your weakness, it can no longer be your weakness. Instead of blaming the evolving technology, understanding and accepting your technophobia will help you.
- Create a positive mindset. We all must understand that technology keeps on updating every single day. It can be hard to keep up with the trend and it is not always necessary.
- Create a feeling that you are not alone. If you ever feel like you have technophobia, just know that you are not alone. It is one of the highly studied phobias. It was found that many teachers refuse to take classes using technology due to technophobia.
- Take this as a challenge and try to learn to use technology.
Only if this mindset changes, technophobia would decrease. We all must learn to normalize if a person does not know to use a technology as it is not a compulsion to keep up with the trend.
Technology was invented to help out people and make their work easier but instead we have complicated things and ended up introducing a new type of phobia called technophobia.
People with technophobia have been reported to have anxiety issues and panic attacks at times when they are exposed to use technology. Needless to say we all have to use technology everyday and this can be frustrating in day-to-day life. There are several therapies that can help you out such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy(CBT). This has proven to show development in people with technophobia. If you ever see a person with technophobia, help them understand that it is not necessary to be familiar with all technological devices and advise them to reach out to a therapist immediately.