A study reveals the effects of technology malfunctions on office employees.
According to a study, Americans will “experience 40,800 technology malfunctions in a lifetime” reported The Mail Online, and this is having a big effect on the levels of stress in the working environment. The site added that although this may not sound realistic, the reality is that most people have experienced some form of tech rage.
In 2015 a man in America “carried his computer into an alley and shot it eight times” after a build up of stress caused by the computer not working, and a study by 24 Hour Fitness showed that 64 percent of adults in the US are “regularly overcome with fury” because of “unreliable technology”. Other triggers are “slow downloads, pop-ups, and logging in” as well as “password problems”, and the study of 2,000 Americans showed that they felt that the machines have a “mind of their own”, which “increases stress levels”.
Other stress indicators were shouting at technology, throwing phones across a room and arguing with partners because of technology failing, and 16 percent said that they have been “reduced to tears”. The physical effects of stress have been reported as stiff necks, aching joints and muscles and stress-induced migraines, with experts saying that the best stress relief is exercise, many office workers going to the gym after work or doing yoga.
Mike Carney, Vice President of Marketing for 24 Hour Fitness, said: “Fitness goals are about more than exercise. At 24 Hour Fitness, we believe the time you spend in the gym helps make the life you lead outside the best it can be, and that includes helping you deal with the daily stress of technology breakdown. The survey revealed that most vulnerable place for tech stress is in work environments.”
Of those polled, 50 percent said that tech stress strikes when they are under time pressure, and “one in seven had missed an important deadline because technology had failed them”. During the research, it was found that 70 percent of people felt that their job restricted them from moving around, and 31 percent said that they felt exercise alleviates the stress. Walking and listening to music were the most popular methods to relieve stress.
Carney added: “The ‘workout effect’ as a solution to combat tech stress […] lasts for over four hours. Science has proven how important a healthy lifestyle is, not only for disease prevention, but also in dealing with the many stressors of daily life. When you practice these skills, you become better prepared for enjoying daily life and managing annoying and more serious life stressors.”